Once Upon a Holiday
by AJ Freas
Summary: Hermione went on holiday to find American relatives. Enter a distant cousin long thought dead. AU (really? do I have to state that each time? I mean, it is so obviously AU. For pity's sake, Hermione is in Forks and related to Alice? Totally not canon!), EWE *Complete*
1. The Holiday

**Once Upon a Holiday**

 **Summary:** Hermione went on holiday to find American relatives. Enter a distant cousin long thought dead. AU (really? do I have to state that each time? I mean, it is so obviously AU. For pity's sake, Hermione is in Forks and related to Alice? _Totally_ not canon!), EWE

There was a pairing I had in mind, but the more I wrote the more they proved me wrong and changed things on me. Well, there still is a pairing, just not the one I intended. Characters in stories (especially mine) can be so demanding.

I started to place the genre as family, because these two are cousins not 'married'. But people get all bent out of shape about the family genre sometimes and I just didn't feel like dealing it. Just so you know. There is no slash here so breathe easy if you're not into that sort of thing and I apologize for failing you if you are.

Oh and no, I'm not breaking up the main Twilight couples just so Hermione can bed one of them. That's not happening in this story… it could be fun to really mess with them some other time, just not in this story.

 **Genre:** Adventure, Drama

 **Characters:** Hermione, Alice

* * *

 **The Holiday**

"It's not forever, Ron."

"How long then?" The wizard asked. He wasn't ready to let the subject drop. Something didn't add up and Ron was determined to get to the bottom of it. The redhead leaned his lanky body awkwardly against the doorframe with his hands stuffed into his trouser pockets. Ron watched as one of his best friends flittered about her bedroom. Normally he'd sit on her bed to talk to her, but there wasn't space at the moment.

"A month, maybe two," Hermione was neatly folding her clothes before setting them on her bed in neatly coded piles: there were long sleeved light colored blouses, long sleeved dark colored blouses, short sleeved light colored blouses and short sleeved dark colored blouses. Then there were trousers sorted into light colors and dark colors and a separate one for denim and so on.

"You don't know how long you'll be gone?"

"Not really, no."

The brunette didn't slow down in her quest to fold her clothes until Ron asked, "You _are_ coming back though, right?"

Hermione paused - a half folded blue cotton short sleeved t-shirt dangling in her hands - and sighed heavily, "Of course."

"That didn't sound very reassuring, Hermione. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hermione responded a bit too quickly to be convincing, not to mention her voice rose at the end of the word making it sound more like a question than an answer.

"Come on," Ron prompted, "You can tell me. I listen nearly as well as Harry." When the witch snorted in amusement, the redhead crossed his arms and smirked, "Fine; I promise I'll listen _this_ time. What's going on?"

There was no answer for a few minutes. Ron didn't prompt her again as he watched a plethora of emotions dance across her features before her face drew upon its usual neutral look, also known as her healer face. It was the look that Hermione adapted when she had to say something unpleasant and needed to remain detached, professional.

"He's getting married." Hermione began folding the t-shirt again and gently placed it on its corresponding pile. She had said that bit of information in an offhanded fashion as if that bit of news meant absolutely nothing to her… which truthfully it didn't mean anything, yet at the same time it meant everything.

"He?" Ron frowned while thinking of all their mutual friends and drawing a blank. It wasn't until the witch shot him an exasperated look that the answer clicked into place and the wizard stiffened, "Benedict?" At Hermione's grimace, Ron threw his hands up in defeat, "Honestly, Hermione, I thought you were over that bloke."

"I am."

"Really?" Ron didn't sound convinced in the least. Why should he? His best friend was going on a long vacation to who knew where all because that Benedict bloke was getting married to some unknown chit.

"Truly," Hermione retorted and sat - or more accurately, she flopped - onto her bed, scattering the neat piles of clothing she had been so painstakingly folded just moments before.

"Then I'm at a loss," Ron took her sitting down as an open invitation to do the same. He sat beside her after shoving a few stacks of clothing out his way. "If you're over him, then why are you leaving because of him?"

"I'm not leaving _because_ of Benedict." Ron scoffed momentarily only to be distracted by a thin bit of silky black material. He held it up to view it more closely only to have Hermione smack his arm and tug it out of his hand with an exasperated look. The witch hid the bit of lingerie behind her before elaborating, "Well not really." When Ron smirked in triumph for having her prove him right, she rolled her eyes before explaining, "You dolt, when I found out about Benedict's engagement, I was genuinely happy for him. He'd been dating Louise for some time, after all. It was good to hear that they're happily settling down.

"Then I realized that I'm the last one." Hermione sighed dejectedly and rescued the silk scarf that Ron had been twisting around his fingers. "Everyone is getting on with their lives. You're married with a child on the way. Ginny and Harry are married with their second child on the way. Neville and Luna are-"

"Got it, we're all wedded with tots… and now it's Benedict's turn."

"Exactly." Hermione nodded as she smoothed the wrinkled scarf across her thigh. Her brow furrowed as she continued, "Mind you, I don't begrudge him getting on with his life and finding someone. It isn't as if we were all that serious when we dated. It's just that I had my life all planned out: education first, then a career, and lastly marriage. It was the proper way to do things-"

"You have the first two," Ron interrupted with his surprisingly astute grasp on the situation only to muck it up a moment later, "Now we just need to find you a man and marry you off. Problem solved."

"Do you even hear yourself when you speak?" Hermione gaped at him, "Just find a man and marry him. _That's_ your solution?"

"Well it was…"

"I'm not that desperate, thank you very much." Hermione nudged her best friend so suddenly - and violently - that he ended up on the floor with a stunned look on his face. "Oh like you didn't deserve that!"

Ron was so shocked it took a moment for reality to get through; once it had he broke into peals of laughter. Hermione was soon to follow. The witch held her sides, straining to catch her breath, "You're so daft sometimes."

The wizard grinned up from the floor unrepentantly, "So you've said." Ron leaned his back against the bed and took a calming breath. "So, you're going off on holiday to… what exactly?"

"Find myself, I suppose. I never took time off, really. I went from Hogwarts to Cambridge to St. Mungo's." Hermione noted that several articles of clothing had fallen from the bed and began picking them up. She quickly snatched a bra that Ron held out to her. "I told Healer Freeman that if he didn't agree to give me a holiday, I'd gladly go on sabbatical. He wasn't overly fond of the idea of my being on sabbatical, so agreed quickly with a holiday."

"What's a sabbatical?"

"It's like a holiday… only longer."

"How long?"

"A regular holiday can be as short as an extended weekend where a sabbatical is several months to a year or more." Hermione had a distant look to her as she continued, "Under normal circumstances, a sabbatical is taken when a professional requires further training or learning in a certain field, but they have been known to be used-"

"Hermione!"

"Hmm?" The witch blinked at her friend and then blushed when she realized she had begun lecturing, "Point is, I'm taking a holiday. Maybe I'll research my family."

"Family? They're muggles, aren't they? Shouldn't they be in that innernest thing you go on about?"

"Internet," Hermione corrected, "and yes actually, they are. I managed to find a few distant relatives through various websites. We've corresponded via email a time or two. Hmm, I could go to Mississippi to meet with them instead of visiting my grandmother."

"Misspi? As in the US? You're a Yank?"

"Mississippi," Hermione rolled her eyes, "And I'm not a Yank! The majority of my family live here in the UK. My great, great grandmother's sister moved to the colonies with her husband and son. The relatives that I've spoken to live in Biloxi."

"So you're going the States to see them?"

With a nod of confirmation and a steely glint of determination in her gaze, Hermione decided, "Yes. I'm going to Mississippi."

* * *

Alice stilled and stared off into the nothingness as her mind was transported to some indistinct time in the future. As the tiny vampire came out of the vision, she smiled beautifully at her mate exclaiming, "She's coming!"

"That's great, Alice." Jasper was momentarily swept away in Alice's excitement as it washed over him. When the pixie sized brunette didn't elaborate, the former soldier quirked an amused sculpted blonde eyebrow at her before asking the ever important question, "Who is coming?"

Pausing in her celebrations, Alice beamed up at him, giggling happily, "I have no idea. I just know she's coming!" She began bouncing happily around the room with an underlying grace that would boggle the mortal mind, providing there were any around to witness her antics, before coming to an abrupt halt. Alice gasped, "and soon. We need to go."

* * *

 **AN:** So … it's a thing, yeah? I haven't a clue why another story bunny popped up in my head for this particular Xover, but it did nonetheless. So I felt compelled to write it. I've read the Twilight books years ago. Seen the first movie once. So if I'm off on those characters, I apologize. This entire thing is so AU yet it follows a few of the main story line plots that I remembered reading about at some point or looked up to clarify on the web (so I blame the wiki if I was so off it hurt!).

This entire ficlet is either following Hermione or Alice (mostly Hermione) and sometimes both within one chapter. So if they're both there and one walks away, you're obviously following the one that stayed. Hopefully that isn't too confusing. I tried making it as obvious as possible. Besides, it isn't as if I ever go first person in this story.

Now a word about Benedict… he's just a fictional ex-lover… ex-boyfriend… guy that will not be a part of this story. I just didn't want to pair her with a HP partner. So please don't read too much into the prior relationship. On the other hand, if you must know, I was thinking of Benedict Cumberbatch when I wrote that, so naturally I had to use Louise Brealey (Molly) as his future bride as well as 'Healer' Martin Freeman (Dr. Watson). I love Sherlock on BBC.

I hope I do well enough with this story as not to be heckled vehemently by the masses. Meep!

Always,

Ajellah


	2. The Meeting

**The Meeting**

"Mary Alice Brandon, Born April 9, 1901 - Died November 6, 1920." Hermione read the faded words etched into the headstone. She was crouched before the marker in the afternoon sun of the Biloxi early summer day. A slight breeze kept the stifling, oppressive, humid heat to a nearly bearable temperature. Cooling charms - and strong sunscreen - were the only thing keeping the witch from hiding inside an air conditioned building. Hermione ran her fingers gently over the worn engraving, "You were so young, much too young to die. What a waste of life.

"Did you know you have a niece named after you?" Hermione often spoke to the dead, not expecting a response today, but she knew it was always a possibility. The witch had lived at Hogwarts for six years among moving paintings and numerous ghosts, after all. "I'm sorry you died before you could have children of your own. I'd have enjoyed meeting your offspring, but I'm glad I was at least able to… meet you."

Hermione brushed away the leaves that landed on the crude, simple, worn headstone before pulling a few strands of overgrown grass that had grown wildly around the marker and its neighbors. She had discreetly placed a notice-me-not privacy ward, yet still glanced around the deserted graveyard before using her wand to clear the overgrown grass, numerous dead leaves and debris in the immediate area near her cousin's tombstone. Once the witch was satisfied with her results, she created a small wreath of green leaves decorated with dainty pink and white flowers that she propped up against the tombstone to honor her cousin. Laying her hand gently on the marker once again she said her goodbye, "Rest in peace, Mary."

"My friends call me Alice," a female voice said.

Hermione stood quickly, spinning around to face the one(s) that had managed to creep up on her. She hid her wand in the folds of her skirt - but didn't put it away - and stood in a defensive stance. She warily eyed the couple standing in the shade of the nearby large willow tree, taking note of the peculiar way the man was looking at her as if he hadn't quite made up his mind about her. How much had they seen? Perhaps an obliviate spell or two were in order. Yet another question sprung to mind. How had they seen past her ward? Had they not known she'd be there, they shouldn't have been able to see her. Playing it safe, Hermione chose to question the pair before casting any more spells, "Pardon?"

"I prefer to be called Alice. I've always hated the name Mary. So I go by my middle name." The pixie like girl was a stunning beauty, shorter than the witch by a fair few inches, waif thin with porcelain skin, short black spiky hair and golden eyes. Her companion was tall, dashingly handsome with honey blonde curls. But what Hermione found curious, was that the male had matching golden eyes and porcelain skin. While those two features could possibly make them siblings, Hermione doubted that was the case.

There was something amiss about these two that put the witch on edge. Hermione's magic was flaring in reaction to them and the man stood abnormally still, almost statuesque in nature and if she wasn't mistaken, he was holding his breath for an abnormally long time. Hermione was wary of the two and chose not to take any chances. The witch had her fill of mysteries, puzzles, fighting and war. Hermione embraced her Gryffindor tendencies and chose to be blunt, "What are you?"

The moment she asked the question, the male stiffened further. Apparently he noticed she had asked 'what' and not 'who' like normal people would when confronted with strangers. Then again, Alice did give her name, perhaps asking who they were was unnecessary, but Hermione still didn't know the name of the male. The witch tightened her grip on her wand as the blonde blinked in surprise, "You're not afraid."

It wasn't a question. It was very much a statement and the black haired woman bounced in place while happily clapping her hands. Hermione shuddered as the memory of an insane, giggling, dancing Bellatrix flit across her mindscape. The witch took a calming breath and waited for a response. Alice beamed, "I told you she wouldn't be afraid, Jasper. I told you things would turn out just fine."

"Things haven't turned out 'just fine' yet, Alice." Hermione clarified, "I asked a question and I'd like an answer. You see, I don't believe either of you are merely human. You both managed to creep up on me much too easily, not to mention the fact that you bypassed my privacy ward.

"Of those that could manage such a feat, I'd wager you aren't werewolves - even though you have golden eyes - they don't tend to stand so stiffly. The werewolves that I had encountered were too accustomed to hunting and being hunted that they stood partially crouched, as if perpetually ready to pounce.

"Veela could manage to surprise me, as they don't simply walk they glide. You're both beautiful enough to be veela, only that's not what you are either. For starters, Alice has black hair which is too dark as they tend to be blonde or more accurately their hair is white or gold. Let's not forget you lack the allure. So enlighten me: what are you?"

Jasper looked at the witch with curiosity, "What is a veela? Is that something from England?"

"They're native to Bulgaria actually, but I do know of a few half-vella in the UK and a family in France. I'm sure there are others; it isn't as if I know them all." Hermione refused to be sidetracked, "You're changing the subject and still haven't given me an answer."

"Vampires," Alice quickly gave an answer before her mate could ask more questions and possibly upset the human. The tiny vampire didn't want to jeopardize any possible friendship the two could develop.

"Codswallop," Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Every vampire I have encountered had red eyes."

"You've met others?" Alice bit back a squeal of excitement when Hermione nodded, "We're different because we're vegetarian vampires. We drink the blood of animals instead of humans: hence the golden eyes."

"Fascinating," Hermione admitted and eased her stance realizing that if the two vampires had wished her harm, they wouldn't have spoken to her first. "I hadn't realized there was such a thing. So you're really Mary Alice Brandon. I'm assuming you were turned in 1920 and that grave is empty."

Alice gave a small smile and a vigorous nod, "My father had me committed to an asylum. He had this tombstone erected; depicting the day I was locked away."

Hermione huffed, "That was rather cruel of him."

"I can't say I blame him. You see, I'm a seer and in 1920 that was considered witchcraft. I think being locked away is better than the alternative."

"Burned at the stake for being falsely accused of being a witch," Hermione correctly guessed.

"Exactly," Alice nodded in agreement, "I'm not saying that all witches are evil, but back then if anyone was accused of witchcraft, even falsely-"

Hermione sighed softly and put her wand into her pocket before stating, "I'm a witch."

"Good thing it isn't 1920!" Alice giggled softly, but tried to stifle her humor when she saw that Hermione had rolled her eyes. "Well it is…"

"Is that why your blood isn't calling out to me?" Jasper was very curious and took a tentative step forward. "It is so strange to see you, a human, standing there and I don't want to drain your body of every drop of blood. You don't smell like prey, you're practically a predator."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Hermione gave a small laugh, "I'd say I was a predator, but now I'm a healer."

"You were…"

"Yes," Hermione didn't elaborate and Jasper didn't push for answers. They had just met after all and it wasn't as if he was about to speak about his own life to the woman.

The pair turned their attention to Alice when she stilled, looking vacantly across the cemetery. When the vision was over, the tiny vampire blinked and bit her lip, "They're coming soon."

"Victoria?"

Alice nodded to her mate before turning her attention to Hermione, "You said you are a predator…"

Hermione squinted at her distant cousin and corrected her, "I was. I'm a healer now."

"We could use a healer as well," Alice bit her lip and looked to her mate who growled before taking over the story.

"There were three nomadic vampires that wandered through our town some time back. One took a liking to Edward's mate, Bella, she's human. James hunted her down, we killed him and now his mate, Victoria has created an army of newborn vampires to retaliate.

"We have been training with the local La Push werewolves in how to take down this army before they can wipe out the town just to get to Bella. We considered different strategies: leaving Forks, hiding Bella… but none ever came out favorable except meeting them head to head in battle." Jasper shot his wife a look when he mentioned favorable outcomes.

"How do I fit into this equation?" Hermione asked Alice.

"Our odds rise considerably," Alice admitted, "Instead of losing five we possibly lose one."

"You're certain?"

"No," Alice sighed and rubbed her temples. "The wolves tend to muddy my predictions when they get involved."

Hermione sighed and nodded as she thought things through, "If there's a chance of saving even one life, I can't justify staying away. I guess I'm going to…?"

"Forks," Alice smiled, "Forks, Washington."

"What an odd name," Hermione laughed softly, "Very well then. I need to get my things."

* * *

They landed in Seattle at Boeing Field King County International Airport and exited the plane, a Gulfstream G550 to be exact. It received FFA certification only three years ago. Not that Hermione had any inkling what any of that meant or the differences in the various chartered planes other than visible ones such as shapes, colors and sizes… that was until Jasper told her all about them. Apparently planes were a passing hobby of his, along with a love of world history.

Hermione stood on the tarmac and breathed in the crisp air, but what caught her attention was the view of a distant mountain.

"That's Mt. Rainier," Alice smiled at the view, keeping an eye on her mate as he moved past the airport employees without a backwards glance.

It took her breath away, "It's beautiful."

Alice smiled at her and motioned for her to follow. Hermione reluctantly tore her gaze from the mountains and followed the miniature vampire into the building. The witch had made a point of shrinking any bags they were bringing back with them to shorten their time in the airport to ease any issues Jasper may encounter from being near many humans. Granted he had fed earlier that day, but they weren't taking any chances. Alice was once again on her phone, her voice was practically mute which oddly caught Hermione's attention more than if the vampire had simply spoken aloud. The witch kept shooting her glances, but really Alice was only letting her father know they were heading back to the house and would be arriving within an hour.

"That was Carlisle, our father. I was letting him know we're back in Washington. Esme, who is our mother, is beside herself. She's looking forward to feeding you." Alice laughed merrily at the confused look on Hermione's face, "Well, Esme loves to cook. She doesn't get to cook often, seeing how we don't exactly eat."

"That makes sense," Hermione nodded and did her best to keep an eye on Jasper's progress through the building. "Jasper looked as if he were in pain earlier. I was starting to worry for him."

Alice watched her mate through the glass doors, "He'll be okay now that he's outside. It's not just the call of human blood, it's their strong emotions."

"Pardon?"

"He's an empath." Alice gave a very human response in a small shrug of her dainty shoulders, "With so many conflicting emotions around him, it weighs heavily on him, even more so than just smelling humans."

"I would imagine so," Hermione frowned, "I suppose it is a good thing that I learned occlumency."

"Occlumency?"

"It is a form of mind magic. It helps me compartmentalize my thoughts and emotions. It will help me to keep calm while around Jasper." Hermione smiled at the squeal of happiness from her cousin. "It is the least I can do for my cousin's mate."

Jasper waited until the girls had caught up to him and guided them to the waiting car. The man stood with his head back and breathed slowly as if taking cleansing breaths, "I appreciate your efforts to control your emotions, Hermione. It will help immensely. If only Bella could learn from you."

"Bella?" Hermione asked as she slipped into the backseat of the silver Volvo and strapped the seat belt on, "She's the one getting married?" Hermione kept getting distracted by the scenery out the window, "How many of you are there in your coven anyhow?"

"Family," Alice reminded her. While technically they were a coven, she wanted Hermione to be more accustomed to referring to them as a family. The last thing the Cullen family needed was for the witch to slip up in front of the wrong person. They drove to the exit and waited to pay the parking lot cashier, "There is me and Jasper, Carlisle and Esme, of course."

"Of course."

"There is Rosalie and Emmett and then there is Edward."

"And you had mentioned that Bella was human… will she be moving in once they're married, like the rest of you or are they going to move out?"

Jasper turned his attention to the side window with a grimace. Alice glanced at her cousin in the rearview mirror. "It's best to get all this out in the open now before we meet the rest of the family. Bella is a high school student that knows about our true nature. When Edward met her, he realized she is his singer." Alice flicked her gaze momentarily to the mirror to meet Hermione's in order to ascertain that she was keeping up with the details. Once she received a nod from the witch, she continued. "Their relationship hasn't been the easiest, but they survived. She's determined to marry Edward. She's even more determined to be turned before she reaches her eighteenth birthday."

At that bit of news, Hermione blinked. "Does she have family?"

"Parents, divorced. She lives with her father. Her mother remarried and travels with her new husband." Alice explained. "Edward is just as determined not to turn Bella as the girl is at being turned."

"How do her parents feel about this?"

"They don't know." Alice admitted, "They don't even know we're vampires."

"Let me guess, they're muggles?"

Alice blinked in confusion. Jasper turned and asked, "Muggles?"

"Muggles are non-magical beings," Hermione elaborated. "While I'm simply guessing from what you've said, I'd wager Bella is non-magical. A common human as is her parents. She figured out what you are, therefore she can officially date Edward. Rather convenient, that is."

Jasper snorted in amusement and Alice shot him a disappointed look before clarifying, "Bella is different. Yes, she's a non-magical human, but there's something different about her. She knows about vampires and the wolves. She's mated to a vampire, not that the wolves are too thrilled about that fact."

"Jasper, you mentioned the La Push werewolves once, something about training together. I always thought werewolves and vampires were natural enemies?"

"We still are, but there is a truce on while we deal with a common enemy." Alice agreed, "La Push is an Indian reservation south of Forks. It is the home of the Quileute tribe. Within the tribe there are numerous young adults that phase into wolves."

"That's rather inconvenient for your family."

"True," Alice shot her mate a glance, "We've got a treaty between our two people. We don't kill or turn humans; they don't hunt us and kill us. But I'm unsure of how long that pact will last if Bella gets her wish to be changed. Officially by changing Bella, even if it is by her choice, we will have broken the agreement."

"Another reason Edward is against changing Bella," Jasper clarified.

Hermione gave a small smile of understanding and watched the scenery flash in the distance. "I'm still not accustomed to your lot driving on the wrong side of the road."

"Just because it's different, doesn't make it wrong." Alice was amused and grinned at her cousin through the rearview mirror.

Hermione laughed softly and disagreed, "Seeing that the majority of the first Americans began their life as British citizens before sailing the seas; I believe that your lot changed sides simply to be contentious."

Alice laughed, "Can't argue with that."

The car slowed and as they approached the house. Hermione did a double take, not having noticed that they were already in Forks, let alone nearing a house. When Alice parked the car, Jasper stepped out and opened Hermione's door. She gave him a grateful smile and a soft 'thanks', but stilled when she got a good look at the home, "It's lovely."

"Thank you," a female voice came from the open doorway.

Hermione's head snapped in that direction and her hand reached for her wand. Jasper had grabbed the witch's wrist and gently squeezed it introducing the new woman, "This is Esme, our mother. She designed the house."

"Right, sorry." Hermione watched as nearly the entire family of vampires met them in front of the abode. The witch blushed deeply before once again thanking Jasper. The vampire gave her a small crooked grin before moving to Alice's side.

Alice began the introductions, "This is Esme and Carlisle." The woman smiled at her, but the man only gave her a reserved nod. "This is Rosalie and Emmett." The blonde girl was taller than Alice, but not nearly as friendly. She was stunningly beautiful, or could have been if she wasn't snarling like the beast she was. Emmett on the other hand was a burly young man that grinned easily and gave a small wave. "Seeing how Edward isn't here, I'm sure he's off with Bella." Hermione didn't question the logic in her reasoning and smiled when Alice continued, "Everyone this is… my cousin Hermione Granger."

"I believe I'm your fourth cousin or some such number. It's a pleasure to meet you all," The witch said and eyed Carlisle carefully, "Is there something troubling you? Jasper doesn't have issue with my scent, so I had thought… hoped really, that the rest of you wouldn't."

Alice motioned Hermione forward, "Esme set up a room for you."

"That's kind of you," Hermione stated, the gratitude was evident in her sparkling eyes, but the witch shot a look at her cousin that spoke volumes. Hermione obviously didn't miss the abrupt change in topic.

"Are you hungry?" Esme asked eagerly causing the young woman to laugh.

"I must admit that I am a bit peckish actually," Hermione admitted, "Alice whisked us away before I had a proper breakfast. She also warned me you enjoy cooking. Although with it being nearly supper time, I'd prefer not to have anything too heavy. Do you perchance have any tea?"

"I do!" Esme reached forward for Hermione and guided her into the house; she tucked the witch's hand into her elbow.

Alice watched the others go into the house and waited for Carlisle's verdict. The sire was not one to disappoint, "I can't say I'm happy about a human stay in my house, Alice." The tiny vampire winced and opened her mouth to argue, but Carlisle held up a hand to stop her. Once she snapped her mouth closed, the doctor continued, "Jasper, you appear to be fine in her presence. I've never seen you this relaxed around Bella and she's here often enough that you'd possibly grow accustomed to her. She can stay on a trial basis."

"Thank you!" Alice bounced to Carlisle and hugged him tightly. "You'll love her. She's wonderful and the spells she knows! She's a healer in her world, you two have that in common at least."

"Really?" Carlisle hugged Alice back before releasing his daughter. "I think I'd enjoy speaking to a magical healer."

"There is one thing though, Bella is not to know about Hermione being a witch. Not until she is married to Edward. Hermione said that she will obliviate her if she learns of the magical world too soon."

"Obliviate?"

"The obliviate spell erases a memory from a human," Alice nodded. "Apparently there's this secret statue-"

"Statute of Secrecy," Jasper corrected.

"Well the Mogs-"

"Muggles," Jasper grinned at his mate.

"Non-magical beings are not to know about magic or magical creatures." Alice gushed, "Did you know there are books about us? We're considered dark magical creatures!"

The three outside stopped speaking and as one, turned their attention towards the house, in the direction of where the kitchen was located before dashing inside. "Rosalie!"

Emmett was holding his mate back as the squirming blonde hissed angrily in an attempt to get at the witch. "I'm not a creature!"

"Vampires in general are considered dark magical creatures by British Magical law. I personally feel the term too broad and in light of your family, should be reevaluated. Many different peoples are considered breeds or creatures. Anything non-human, in fact has been classified as such." The witch's tone was even and calm, her wand was in hand, but held at her side. "I for one am not prejudiced against any form of life providing they do not threaten me or my loved ones. That goes for all beings: breeds, creatures and humans alike."

Esme stood in the kitchen door, one hand over her mouth as if to keep from screaming in fright or laughing at the odd scene that was playing out before her. It was hard to tell as she stood there wide eyed, head snapping back and forth from her daughter to their guest. Rosalie was spitting mad trying to break free from her mate's grip and Emmett was more amused than anything, while still a bit concerned for the witch's safety. Hermione on the other hand had her back to the nearest wall while standing in a defensive stance, wand at the ready and a spell lighting the tip waiting, begging to be released.

Carlisle looked at the scene before him and frowned. He made his way to the table and took a seat, motioning for the others to do the same. Hermione watched the family dynamics with a sense of wonder. Rosalie looked deflated, but dutifully sat as far from the witch as possible while crossing her arms petulantly with Emmett at her side. With a bit of encouragement from her cousin, Hermione diffused the spell and sat at Carlisle's left, yet refusing to put away her wand just yet. Alice took the seat beside her cousin and Jasper sat beside his mate.

Alice frowned, which looked odd on her otherwise cheerful face, "What happened?"

"Rosalie apparently heard something outside that she didn't take kindly to."

The tiny vampire winced, "Sorry. I told Carlisle that Bella isn't to be told about you being a witch. That you'd obliviate her if you had to. I also explained that since we're classified as magical creatures, it was okay that we knew about your world."

Esme came in carrying a tray with tea, milk, sugar and honey, a cup and saucer along with a plate of homemade shortbread cookies. The matronly vampire set the tray down before taking her place beside her husband.

"And naturally she took offense," Hermione calmed and stowed her wand. "I'm sure I would have reacted similarly if I had heard someone referring to me as something I found offensive."

"Milk, honey, sugar?" Esme offered the witch a cup of tea and Hermione gratefully accepted.

"Smells heavenly, thank you. I don't tend to sully my tea with additions; most are mixed to perfection when brewed properly." Hermione looked over at Carlisle who was quietly studying her. "I'm sure you have numerous questions and I will answer any that I'm able."

"There are two reasons I'm hesitant about your staying with us. First is that you're human, but both Alice and Jasper vouch for your character. Which brings me to my second reason and am at a loss how to approach this. I suppose it would be easiest if you knew about my past life as a human.

"I am the son of an Anglican pastor born in 1640 in London. It was during a time of religious and political upheaval." Carlisle had a bit of a pinched look when he admitted, "My father and others led hunts for werewolves, witches, and vampires, claiming that they were attempting to rid the world of evil and sin."

"And he was certain they were actual werewolves, witches and vampires?" Hermione asked fascinated with the subject and eager to hear more from a person who lived the tale rather than read stories.

"Many a time, those accused ended up being innocent citizens." The patron vampire grimaced slightly as he continued, "They died, regardless of innocence or guilt, at the hands of my father and the other pastors."

Hermione gasped as a name came to mind, "James Cullen." At the stunned look she received from Carlisle, the witch continued, leaning forward in her seat in her excitement. "I knew your name sounded familiar! James Cullen was one of three named pastors in the witch hunts we learned about in History of Magic."

"My shame is written in history books?"

"It isn't your shame, Mr. Cullen-"

"Carlisle, please."

"Alright, as long as you return the favor and call me Hermione," the witch continued, "As I was saying, it is due to these events involving your father that the wizarding world went underground. They erected magical wards that repelled anyone without magic, causing them to suddenly remember something important like an appointment or unfinished chore and walk away.

"Numerous Ministries of Magic were created and hundreds of thousands of families around the world suddenly disappeared from 'polite society' for their own protection. The statute of secrecy was adopted and enforced throughout various magical governments, including the Magical Congress of the United States of America."

"There's a Magical Congress of the United States of America?" Rosalie sounded almost offended by the thought of a magical government in her beloved country.

"Naturally," Hermione smiled behind her tea cup, sipping it before setting it down, "The Magical Congress even has a president. Keith Martin was elected into office two years ago."

* * *

 **AN:** Okay a few notes:

1\. I made up actual dates for Alice's birthday and death. The wiki only supplied the years. If someone knows the actual dates, be sure to let me know and I will happily update the headstone information.

2\. Carlisle's background is true, but the father's name and it's impact on the wizarding world was all things I made up.

3\. Keith Martin is another utterly made up name (yay for random name generators!). The only named magical president on the HP wiki is Samuel G. Quahog who was supposed to be serving in 2014. Since this is 2006, I figured he wouldn't be in office just yet.

I also wanted to say thank you to those that favorite / followed and specially the reviews. You guys are awesome.

 **skydancer2ooo:** I hope this chapter answered your question about Alice's vision. She had seen them meeting Hermione, but she had no idea who Hermione was. And yes, there will be a pairing eventually

A word of warning... like the majority of my stories, this one is short. 12 paragraphs short. So hang on to your seats, it will be over before you know it.


	3. The Pack

**The Pack**

Hermione woke quite early the next morning. Every head in the house snapped towards the ceiling when the soft sound of her bedroom door opened and the distinguishing sound of the only beating heart in the building was suddenly heard. It was still weird that they couldn't hear her moving around in her room, but she had explained about the privacy wards she erected.

Esme immediately went to the kitchen to begin making the witch's breakfast, Rosalie rolled her eyes before heading to her room, Emmett continued to flip through channels on the television, Jasper, Carlisle and Edward watched Alice bounce to meet her cousin at the bottom of the stairs. She had quickly learned not to startle a battlemage by surprising Hermione at her bedroom door. Being slammed through a wall once was enough for Alice. The vampire was still impressed with the speed of her cousin's magic and the skill in which she wielded her craft.

"Good morning," Alice chirped.

"Good morning," Hermione chuckled before receiving a hug from her enthusiastic cousin.

Alice lowered her voice and motioned towards the living room, "Edward is home. He's not too thrilled about keeping Bella in the dark about you being a witch. I tried to explain it to him and he read my mind as I replayed our meeting with the family, but he's really on edge-"

Hermione held her hand out to stop her cousin's babbling, "It's okay, Alice. Really. Besides, he's right - to an extent - and I'd probably feel the same way if I were in his shoes." The two rounded the corner and entered the living room as she continued, knowing the entire house was able to hear every word they had spoken, "I thought about it last night, if I'm to be of any help during your little encounter with the newborns, then all those involved will need to know I'm a witch. After all, I'm still only human. I haven't your wicked strength or speed, heightened hearing or vision. I don't have your advantages, so I must rely on my own God given gifts.

"I need to make a trip to the nearest wizarding stores." Hermione began ticking off the list she had just handed to Alice, "I need to brew some potions, so I will need to purchase a new cauldron, a fair few ingredients. If time is permitted, I could set up various runestones to contain the battle to our choice of area. There's no way to shield the entire town, I haven't the time nor the magic to do such a thing on my own."

Jasper had taken the list from his mate and read down the notes the witch had jotted down the night before. He chuckled softly, "Did you manage to sleep at all last night?"

Hermione laughed, "Eventually, but my mind wouldn't leave me be. I kept thinking of things I needed to do, spells I could research if I had my books, potions we'd need and really it all became a bit too much. It's overwhelming really. There's so much that needs to be done, but we simply haven't the time to do everything. In the end I took a sip of dreamless sleep for a respite."

"Dreamless sleep?" Carlisle piped in. "Is that one of your medicinal potions? How can it be healthy? All humans must dream. REM sleep is necessary for recuperation."

"It does exactly as it sounds, it gives a person a full eight hours of rest without memorable dreams giving the impression of a night sans dreams. Otherwise there is the possibilities of the imbiber experiencing restlessness, nightmares, etc. I opted for a sip since I'm not suffering any illness other than an over active mind. Besides, it is one of our more potent potions and highly addictive if one isn't careful." Hermione had immediately slipped into her lecturing tone and Carlisle was nodding in understanding. It was the rumbling of the witch's empty stomach that brought their discussion to an abrupt ending. "Well that's embarrassing."

Carlisle smiled and motioned her towards the kitchen, "Esme is making your breakfast."

Edward took a step forward as if to say something, but simply frowned at her instead. "I can't… why can't I hear you?"

That caught everyone's attention - minus Alice who had an idea to why - and Hermione tapped her temple, "Occlumency."

Alice recited, "It is a form of mind magic. It helps her compartmentalize thoughts and emotions. Apparently it keeps Edward out as well."

All vampires turned in surprise at her knowledge and Hermione laughed, "Exactly. It is a defensive magic with offensive capabilities." The witch turned her attention to Edward, "I strongly suggest you don't try forcing your way into my mind to test my occlumency. I know for humans it can be painful when forcefully ejected, but I haven't the foggiest what it will do to you."

Edward smirked, "That almost sounded like a challenge."

"If you wish," Hermione shrugged, but didn't back down. "I don't fancy a headache, but if you insist on trying then so be it."

Alice shot her brother a warning look and grabbed Hermione's hand, "You should eat."

Esme had set out a plate of food and a cup of tea, "Did you want juice, dear?"

"No thank you," Hermione took a seat, "I appreciate you going through the trouble of cooking, but-"

"It's no trouble. Alice warned you that I enjoy cooking." Esme countered. "Seeing how none of us eat and Bella is usually too high strung to eat much here, I don't always get the opportunity."

Edward shot his mother an exasperated look that she pointedly ignored and poured tea for Hermione. The witch took an appreciative bite of her omelet, "It's delicious, thank you."

Alice sat beside her cousin at the dining room table. Jasper sat across from them reading through the list written in Hermione's tiny script. Edward hovered near the doorway and Carlisle took a seat at the head of the table. Hermione paused in her eating. "I can understand why Bella feels skittish about eating here. If you all continue to watch me eat, I'll have to take my meals elsewhere as well."

Esme gasped at the idle threat and shooed everyone - with the exception of Alice - out of the dining room while Hermione hid her smile in her cup of tea. Alice leaned closer to her cousin, "Well played."

* * *

That afternoon they gathered at a large open field with smatterings of green grass and clover surrounded by thick tall trees. Everything was a vibrant green and full of natural magical energy. Hermione walked around the perimeter near the treeline as the Cullen family plus Bella watched her.

The witch could hear their muttering voices, but hadn't a clue what they were saying. She simply assumed they were wondering what she was up to so she voiced a response to the unasked questions. "Since this is your chosen place for battle, I'm simply walking the perimeter in order to assess if there is any way I can help magically: wards, shields, dampeners." She made her way back to the watching family, "There's so much natural magical potential here. Trouble is, vampires are naturally resistant to magic. Without my tomes, I'm unsure if any of them would do any good or simply hinder you lot as well as the newborns."

Emmett frowned, "You can hinder vampires?"

"There are spells, potions or wards against all beings: vampires, werewolves, humans, pixies, doxies, hags, imps, hinkypunks, kappas, red caps-"

"Hinkypunks?" Emmett laughed, "You made that up."

Hermione shook her head at the large male, "While I admit that I've personally only ever seen one - and in a controlled, classroom environment - I did not make them up. They're vile little creatures that lure travelers into bogs. They appear harmless enough, but can shoot fireballs and shouldn't be underestimated."

Emmett blinked at that, "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Hermione gave a small shrug.

The Cullen family - as one - turned their attention towards the treeline and Bella stepped closer to Edward. Hermione simply canted her head in curiousity. Whatever approached wasn't a threat or the vampires would be crouching in preparation of attacking.

Two large men stepped out from the treeline. They were soon followed by five males and a female. The males were all similar: the shortest among them stood a minimum of six feet tall, broad shoulders, tanned skin, black hair and wearing nothing but cut off jean shorts. Hermione was suddenly struck with a mental image of her old Hogwarts roommates and pictured how they'd fawn all over these boys. The sole female was nearly as tall as the males, graceful in her movements as she loped forward with a bob of black hair wearing a tank top and similar shorts.

Watching them approach was quite telling about the packs' dynamics. The two in front were obviously alpha and beta while the others simply came up behind their leaders.

In her youth, the sheer number of suspicious looks that Hermione was receiving would have unnerved her. Years of being friends with Harry Potter had helped her grow a thicker skin and Hermione was able to ignore them. Yet there were two exceptions within the pack who stared at her with open curiosity. Hermione focused her attention on these two shape shifters. These two males appeared young even if they were both at least six feet tall and dwarfed her in size. For some unfathomable reason, Hermione felt drawn to them and stepped closer until the the alpha scowled and asked, "Who's the girl?"

" _Girl_?" Hermione sniffed in disdain, "I am Healer Hermione Granger." The witch ignored the warning growls and turned her attention to the Cullen family while discreetly twitching her wrist allowing her wand to drop into her hand, "Not one of you thought to warn them about me?"

Each family member looked to Edward - including Bella - who simply smirked at the wolves, "Where would be the fun be in that?"

"For someone over a century old, you're an insufferable child." Hermione rolled her eyes at the vampire before turning back to the pack. "I'm here to aid in the battle against the newborns."

"You're a human," The alpha snorted, "What help could you possibly be?"

"Care to find out?" Hermione challenged, falling easily into her defensive stance.

Hermione's eyes were busily scanning the shape shifters and narrowed at the angriest male of the lot, figuring he'd be the easiest to lure into taking action. She smirked openly at him and he foolishly took the bait. The tall male growled, ignoring the calls of 'Paul' and rushed forward in his human form. The witch easily twisted into an apparation and appeared with a soft pop a few feet behind the group of shape shifters, "Nice try. You'll have to move faster than that."

The two boys who had watched her with curiosity were now grinning at her. Paul on the other hand leapt at her, shifting as he went only to land once again without his prized prey. Hermione popped behind the scowling Alpha and pressed her wand into his lower back, "You should tame your pup."

"Paul," the Alpha growled.

Only the two weren't listening, Paul was growing angrier and Hermione popped away once again and waited for the inevitable attack. She taunted again, "Come now, Paul. You've failed your direct attacks, try something else."

The angry howl that came from his throat was guttural and caused Hermione's hair to stand on end. Flashbacks of Fenrir Greyback threatened to cripple her, but she mentally shook them off. She gripped her wand tightly and waited. Paul ran towards her, dwarfing her by a good foot - even on all fours - and Hermione shouted, "Immobulus!" Paul's body froze, but its forward momentum caused Hermione to dodge, "Levicorpus!"

The witch flicked her wand to the side, forcing the dangling wolf to move out of her line of sight. "Any more questions?"

The Alpha was still scowling. He clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes at Hermione, "What are you?"

Hermione ignored his question and asked Edward, "Is anyone else going to attack me?"

"No," Edward looked at the pack and his eyes widened momentarily. The movement was so slight, most missed it before he moved his attention back to the dangling wolf. "Paul is still annoyed."

"That's to be expected," Hermione stepped forward and with two fingers raised the torn shorts. "Reparo."

The witch dropped the shorts beneath the wolf's form and spoke directly to him, "I am a witch. I know many spells. I'm also a healer, so not only can I inflict numerous curses, hexes and jinxes, I know where to inflict them for the greatest impact." She smiled, "Liberacorpus", and watched the wolf drop to the ground in a heap. He was still immobilized so she crouched beside the large mound of fur. "We won't have any more trouble. Will we?"

Hermione couldn't help herself, she reached out and brushed her hand along his side and ignored the growls of warning. She stroke him behind the ear and listened to the grumbling noise he made. Edward laughed, "He said he'll make you a deal: you stop treating him like a puppy, he'll stop attacking."

Patting Paul on the head, Hermione acquiesced, "Deal." She stood and canceled the charm, "Finite. You may want to take those shorts with you. Personally I've seen a number of males in the all together - seeing how I'm a healer - but I'm pretty sure Edward would have kittens if you were to change back to your human form in front of Bella without those on." The wolf huffed, snatched up his shorts in his maw and loped off to the trees. "Now, introductions would be nice."

The scowling Alpha folded his arms across his chest defiantly, but the second in command was more accommodating. "That's Sam. I'm Jacob. This is Leah, Quil, Embry, Jared and Paul. Back at the rez there's-"

"She doesn't need to know about them." Sam interrupted. Hermione simply raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

During the introductions Paul had come back from the trees although he was still in his wolf form, but had his shorts tied strategically to his leg. Hermione beckoned him over to her and he went… hesitantly. The witch laughed softly, "I promise not to be rude. I find it interesting that you tie your clothing to your body. I'm guessing this is so you don't have to suffer the indignities of being caught starkers."

She looked up at Jacob who nodded and stepped closer, crouching beside the woman. Jacob pointed out the string tied to a belt loop on his own shorts. "It makes life easier. Why do you ask?"

"Just thinking of possibilities," She stood bit her lip in thought, tapping her wand against her thigh. Hermione began pacing as she rambled to herself about charms, bags, pouches, extending cords… "A small bag with a small undetectable extension charm would only help with carrying the clothes. What would you do with it while in wolf form? That's the tricky bit. Leah would need a full extension charm or perhaps mokeskin pouches! They're rather rare so that won't do…"

Carlisle shook his head, "She may be a while. In the meantime, we need to practice. Shall we?"

The wolves agreed and those that needed to switch went back into the trees. Paul sat on his haunches and cocked his head to the side listening as his pack phased. The Cullen family began pairing off, Jasper was speaking softly with Carlisle and the wolves bounded back to train.

Hermione studiously ignored the training session, throwing an absent minded shield when someone came too close. Bella frowned at the witch and finally asked, "What is a moke?"

Blinking, Hermione stopped her train of thought and asked, "What?"

"A moke," Bella asked hesitantly, "What is that?"

"A lizard," Hermione waved off the question, "They're found mostly in Great Britain and Ireland. Difficult to find because they shrink when predators come near. Which is why their skin is so bloody expensive and the mokeskin pouches are so valuable.

"You see, the trouble I'm having isn't so much the bag itself. I can charm any bag of their choosing to hold their clothes inside, the trick is how to attach it to them in wolf form." Hermione pointed out the nearest wolf as it tackled Emmett, the pair rolling in the dirt. The gray wolf used his hind legs to push the vampire off of him before scrambling to his feet for another attack. "If it were to be around the neck, Emmett could easily use it to strangle him. That would be bad for the wolf. If it were made more flexible, meaning that instead of it being sturdy enough to cause damage and break away to ensure the wolf's safety, it would really defeat the purpose of the bag altogether."

"True," Bella agreed. "Something like a bungee cord would be bad. It would stretch, but then bounce back and really hurt them. There's also the issue of the length of cord. Too long and it dangles obscenely while in human form, but if it is too form fitting in human form, it would strangle them when they phased. Is it possible to make it so the cord and bag meld with their fur so it's impossible to find unless they're in human form?"

Hermione's eyes widened, "I don't know! But that would solve the problem rather nicely. Good thinking, Isabella."

The teen cringed, "Why do you call me that?"

"It's your name." Hermione threw another shield up as a dark gray wolf with black spots slid towards them. He stood slowly, shook his head and huffed, drawing a giggle from the witch. She quickly covered her mouth as if surprised at the sound that came forth from her, which if she were honest, she was. The wolf looked up at the two women and gave a wolfish smile with his tongue lolling out. "Watch out!"

Emmett came barreling over in their direction. The gray wolf lowered himself into a defensive crouch and snarled at the incoming vampire. Their momentum was too much, Hermione grabbed onto Bella and apparated two feet to their left out of harm's way.

Belle groaned at her first encounter with side along appration and leaned against the witch, "That was horrible."

"Being plowed over by those two would have been much worse." Hermione countered.

"Dammit Emmett," Edward yelled.

"What?" Emmett paused in his spar to ask what the problem was, but was blindsided by the dark gray wolf. The two were on the ground and it didn't look like the wolf was very happy with the vampire.

A large black wolf let out a single bark, much like a command.

The dark gray wolf stilled, rolled away from the vampire, but stayed low in his crouch and growled deep in his chest. Emmett brushed off the dirt from his shirt and frowned, "What gives?"

Edward was spitting angry. "You almost hurt Bella!" The dark gray wolf let out a bark and Edward nodded, "Right, and Hermione."

"Nice to know I rank a nod of concern, but we're obviously fine." Hermione looked at the dark gray spotted wolf as he nudged her gently. She smiled at him, boggled that the wolf was as tall as she was and gave him a scratch behind the ear. "I'm fine. Not a scratch on me. You two didn't even come close."

"See?" Edward told Bella as he gestured towards the unrepentant Emmett and a large reddish brown wolf, "This is why you can't be anywhere near the battle when they get here. We can't concentrate if you're here, Bella. We'll be too worried about your safety."

"I need to be here," Bella said in exasperation. That was apparently an old argument that they were rehashing, "They're following my scent. If I'm anywhere else, they'll go there and what if they can't find my scent? They'll go to my home and put Charlie in danger. My staying here just makes sense."

"No! You'll be far away from here during the-"

"Actually…" Hermione interrupted before the two love birds' argument could begin again. She stood her ground as all heads swivelled in her direction, idly rubbing the dark gray wolf's head, "We can do both."

Jasper asked, "How?"

"Apparate," Hermione held out her hand to halt any further questions. "You all saw me pop in and out of places, can you honestly think that I can't pop Isabella off to safety once the fighting starts?" The witch turned her focus onto Bella, "Can you trust me long enough to take you out of harm's way once the newborns arrive?"

"I…" The girl hedged and fidgeted from one foot to the other, not looking as if she were going to budge on the argument of her location during the battle. "It made me kind of sick."

"True, side along apparation can do that, but it gets easier with time." Hermione tried a different tactic. "Edward suggested a tent in the mountains out of the area. You brought up a valid point of your scent. What if we could do both?" The witch walked ten feet away and began warding an area to prove her point. The dark gray wolf followed close behind sniffing the air where the magic was placed. Hermione added repelling wards, privacy wards and a few she had picked up from a beloved werewolf friend before he was killed during the final battle at Hogwarts.

"Where…"

The witch and wolf walked forward, out of the warded area and back to the group. Hermione held her hand out to Bella. "Take my hand and trust me to take you to safety."

"I just know I'm going to regret this," Bella took a deep breath and nodded before she took Hermione's hand firmly in her own. With a sudden pop of disapparation, the two disappeared into the warded area ten feet away. The teen teetered on her feet, "Oh that's still horrible."

"Yes, but look there at your friends," Hermione pointed towards the crowd they had just left.

"What are they looking for?"

"I'd wager, they're looking for us."

"But we're right here."

"Yes, but they can't see, hear nor smell you. It's the same wards I put up around my room. Last thing I need is for an entire clan of vampires knowing when I'm in the loo." Hermione said and pointed outwards, "You can walk back to them and cross the wards. It only stops them from coming to you."

"Just walk…"

"Yes, just walk forward." So the pair did just that. They walked. Both vampires and shape shifters noted their scents immediately and turned towards them. Hermione smiled triumphantly when they made it to the startled group. The witch commented, "I can ward any area just as I did here." She turned back towards the area ten feet away and dropped the wards with a dismissive swish of her wand, "Finite. The larger the area, the more difficult and time consuming the task is. I'd be able to do a small area quickly. I hid with my two best friends from an army of dark wizards for a year, we slept in a tent and traveled from forest to forest."

Edward looked at the witch and gave a nod, "That could work."

"Great, so I don't need to go to the mountains if she can do the wards here. I can stay-"

"No," Hermione shook her head, "The wards only work if you stay within its parameter. If you see someone get hurt; what are the chances that you'll stay put?"

Bella wanted to argue, it was written on her face, but in the end she just sighed and gave a reluctant nod, "You're right. I hate it, but you're right."

While they had been discussing Bella's place during the battle, the wolves had phased back to their human forms and came to join the rest of the conversation. Sam was the first to speak, "Seth, I want you with Bella at the tent. She will need protection along with this magic protection that the witch provides."

Hermione bit back any comment about being deemed 'the witch' rather than having a name. The young wolf wanted to object and struggled with his response, but he knew he couldn't go against his Alpha's command. Bella gave him a sympathetic look. Seth huffed dejectedly and folded his arms, "Fine."

"The hardest part will be waiting for their arrival." Sam growled, "As much as I don't want to endanger my pack, I hate waiting."

"We know it will be soon." Alice confirmed, "Victoria will-"

Hermione gave Jasper a significant look as the vampire stilled mid-sentence. The soldier simply shook his head and gave a resounding, "No."

Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation, "They could be in Seattle in no time at all. One call to the Ministry of Magic for a portkey-"

"We can't risk it." Jasper frowned, "The extra help would be welcome, but we can't risk the Volturi's involvement."

"Do you honestly think they don't already know about the army in Seattle?" Hermione was loathed to give in too easily. More wizards could make or break the upcoming battle. "The Volturi aren't stupid, they're sure to know the signs."

Alice blinked as Edward growled at what he saw of the shared vision. "They're coming the day after graduation. Victoria thinks we'll be too distracted to anticipate their arrival."

* * *

 **AN** : Thank goodness for the internet. It has been so long since I've read the books that I kept getting mixed up. Things like the pack didn't split until _after_ Bella was preggers. Sheesh.

Also thank you to everyone who reviews. Lately they aren't showing up for me. I get notified via email, but don't see them on the website... weird! Still, I love each and everyone.

 **HermioneHolmesGranger:** About the pairing, it won't be revealed until later. As for hints, well the first two are in this chapter.


	4. The Village

**The Village**

With the help of Billy Black, Jacob's father, Hermione found the nearest wizarding town. The tiny town of Elwha was the Godric's Hollow of Washington. There were mixed inhabitants of the town - some muggle, many Native American, the others magical - and the gateway to their wizarding town called Ehwaz.

All they had to do was drive down Wapiti Way to the end. At the side of the road was a sign that read End of the Road, unless you were magical, of course. Witches and wizards read Welcome to Ehwaz. The sign had a white prancing horse on its left and a runic symbol engraved in the bottom right corner.

Along with her friendship with Alice and Jasper, Hermione was becoming fast friends with Esme. Emmett's perpetual adolescence reminded the witch of the Weasley twins a bit too much for her comfort, even if he was a nice enough 'boy'. Rosalie was still quite guarded around the witch. Carlisle simply found Hermione fascinating and the two talked medicine and magic theory for hours, but that was about the extent of their friendship.

Hermione and Esme took a break from training while the kids were in school and made their way over to the wizarding town of Ehwaz. The witch wanted to see if there were any books available that could help with specific spells or wards. She also intended to make as many potions as humanly possible because a week wasn't much time.

The woman was beside herself with excitement and practically leaped from the vehicle when Esme parked. Standing beside the car Hermione inhaled and let the magic of the area wash over her. "Can you feel it?"

Esme was uneasy as she made her way around the car to stand beside Hermione, "It feels… alive."

"Magic is everywhere, Esme. It's in everything. Magic is life." Hermione smiled at her friend warmly, "The best part about being here is we don't have to hide who we are."

The vampire nodded - still quite wary - and slipped her arm into Hermione's as they walked towards the shops. "Why a horse?"

"Hmm?" Hermione looked at Esme in confusion, "What about a horse?"

"The sign," Esme pointed, "they all have something to do with horses."

"That probably has something to do with the name of the town," Hermione explained and elaborated when Esme blinked her confusion. "Ehwaz is the Proto-Germanic word for horse. It's also a magical rune meaning partnership," the witch pointed at the odd looking M, "and part of the Futhark alphabet."

"You're like a walking reference library, Hermione."

"Sorry. I've been called an insufferable know-it-all most of my life." Hermione grimaced, "I don't mean to spout off facts that way; it's such an ingrained habit."

"I didn't mean it as an insult," Esme cooed, "I find it rather endearing."

Hermione laughed as she guided her friend towards the apothecary, "You're probably the only one who does."

The streets weren't overly crowded. It was nothing like Hogsmeade on a Hogwarts Saturday. The two women strolled along the path, arm in arm, laughing and pointing out stores they wanted to visit, but they both agreed that the bookstore had to be last or they'd get nothing else accomplished.

Esme held the door to the apothecary open as the two women entered the store. Hermione scooped up a basket and began walking through the aisles commenting on how fresh the ingredients were. The witch remarked, "Wiggentree bark is very reasonable here."

"That's because the wiggentree is common here," the witch behind the counter stated.

Hermione smiled at the woman, "Explains why it is so pricey in London."

"So it _is_ you," The young woman gushed, "You're Hermione Granger, aren't you?"

The witch in question sighed softly and nodded, "Yes."

"Sorry, it's just…" The woman came around the counter and was near tears, "My name is Heather. I was in school about the same time you were - in Salem, not Hogwarts - and we kept up with the news about what was going on over there. Our government offered help, but your ministry…"

"Was taken over by Death Eaters," Hermione nodded. "I never knew anyone else was even aware of what we were going through."

"How could we not? Even the Mundane knew something was wrong with the bridges collapsing and all the unusual weather courtesy of the dementors."

Esme piped in, "I remember reading about the falling bridges. We thought it as a joke at first. London Bridges are falling down… who wouldn't think it an April Fool's prank?"

Hermione felt a bit overwhelmed, "I never knew."

"You're a bit of a celebrity here in the US," Heather said and winced when Hermione groaned, "Sorry, but I can't believe you're here in Ehwaz!"

Esme bit back a laugh at the horrified look on her friend's face. Hermione tried to wave off the enthusiastic witch, "I'm nobody! It was all Harry-"

"You're not 'nobody', Miss Granger. You're a hero." Heather waved off Hermione's attempt to deflect. "I know what you're saying and to a point, perhaps you're right, but you were there. You fought for what you believed in. You stood by Harry Potter's side and you helped. Not many people can say that. Many little witches look up to you. I know I do. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but I do want to say thank you. So thank you."

"I…" Hermione sighed softly and nodded, "You're welcome."

"Okay, awkward moment over," Heather beamed at Hermione, "I take it you want to do some brewing. What can I help you with?"

"I'll be making healing potions, salves and blood replenishing potions. I don't have time to make the skele-gro; do you perchance have any in stock?"

"I do actually," Heather motioned for the women to follow her and the next hour was spent picking out ingredients and making their purchase.

Every store they went into that day, someone had something to say about Hermione and what a wonderful person she was. If the witch wasn't so determined to make all her purchases that day, she would have left after the second store.

Esme found the entire event rather amusing and was quite curious. It wasn't until they made it to the bookstore that she got her unasked questions answered. Hermione was doing her best to hide in the bookstore aisles and the pair ducked into the magical history area. Believing she was safe, Hermione sighed softly and leaned against a bookshelf only to hear Esme gasp and snatch a book off the rack. "You were so cute!"

"What?" Hermione spun around to see the row of books, all displaying a photograph from her fourth year that had been taken of her and Harry during the Triwizard Tournament. "I hate that picture!" Hermione took one of the books down and was skimming through it, "What is this?"

"If I buy one, will you autograph it for me?" Esme asked.

"Don't be absurd. I didn't authorize this!"

"That's why it is called the biography of a Muggleborn, not the autobiography of Hermione Granger." Esme noted, "And I thought you were a genius."

"That's not funny, Esme. This book is utter rubbish!" Hermione groaned, "I never dated Harry Potter. He's my best friend. He's like a brother to me. Still is actually. He's quite happily married to his first love, Ginny."

"There's a few pages in the center that… they move. I never realized… this is fascinating!"

"I didn't go to Oxford, I went to Cambridge. Honestly!"

"Have you ever thought to write your autobiography?" Esme asked as she looked through the pages, "It may dispel some of the rumors that this one seems to be full of."

"I haven't the time." Hermione shoved the book back into place and went to grab Esme's, but the vampire was much too fast for her and dodged her reach. "Esme!"

"I'm curious about my daughter's cousin. I think I need to purchase a few books." Esme began searching the shelves for anything about recent magical history in England and was pleasantly surprised to find a fair few.

Seven to be exact:

1\. Modern Magical History of the Twentieth Century;  
2\. Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century, the New Edition;  
3\. The Golden Trio Adventures: Harry Potter and Friends;  
4\. The Fall of Lord Voldemort;  
5\. The Official Unofficial Life of Harry Potter;  
6\. Ronald Weasley, the Great Strategist; and  
7\. Hermione Granger, the Biography of a Muggleborn Warrior Princess

Hermione gave in and left Esme sifting through her new found treasure trove of all things Hermione and searched for reference books. She had been lost in the volumes for less than an hour before Esme finally invaded her sanctuary.

"I think we need to go." Esme said softly, "Now."

The witch blinked to help focus her eyes on something other than small print and frowned, "What's wrong?"

Esme nodded towards the front of the store, "I believe word has gotten out that you're in the village."

Hermione grimaced and peeked around a display only to move away again swiftly, "Where did they all come from?"

"I don't know. I noticed the volume in the place was steadily rising and finally had to go look." Esme held up a finger and said, "What here."

The witch reached out for her friend, but it was too late. Esme had left her and was making her way to the front of the bookshop to find a store employee. Hermione hid behind books as she watched the vampire gesture a few discrete times and the two nodded in understanding.

Esme made her way back to Hermione and the witch breathed a sigh of relief once they were together again. Hermione glanced at the growing crowd before whispering, "What did she say?"

"The owner is very sympathetic and agreed to help you sneak out the back of the store. Naturally she'd rather you met the crowds, but wouldn't dream of asking you. I'm sure if you were to let it leak out that you shopped here she'd be thrilled. You're a celebrity so it's good for business to have you here."

"Miss Granger?" The soft voice asked. Hermione whipped around, wand in hand, to find the woman that Esme was speaking to earlier standing with her hands up in a 'surrender' fashion, "Sorry. I should know better than to startle a war veteran. I'm Crystal Ellis, this is my store." Hermione lowered her wand as Crystal continued, "I can take you out through the storage room. Did you have any purchases you wanted to make before we head out?"

"Yes, several actually…" Hermione sighed softly, "I'm sorry about this." She waved her hand vaguely around as if gesturing towards the entire store. "I've never had to deal with this sort of thing before. They always wanted to meet Harry, not me."

"It's no problem, really. Come with me," Crystal motioned for the two to follow her. They quickly made their way into the back storage area where the owner of the book store notated which books Hermione was buying. When she got to Esme's book she laughed and held up the two biographies. "Will you be burning these as an offering to our hero? I can't imagine many of the facts are correct."

"No!" Esme took the books reverently and shooed Hermione away, "She may want to burn them, but I believe they'll make for some enjoyable reading."

Hermione groaned and cursed colorfully under her breath which caused Esme to laugh. The witch wrinkled her nose at her friend, "Oh bugger, the whole family is going to know about this, aren't they? I don't know how, I don't know when, but I'll get back at you for this."

* * *

"Isn't there _anything_ I can do to help?"

"You have neither the magic required to make potions nor the patience."

"I don't need patience to cut up those… well, not the slimy things, but the roots or crush the needles. I can do that kind of thing can't I?"

"Can you make your cuts precise, the pieces uniform in shape and size?"

"Of course I can."

"You didn't sound too assured. Can you crush the needles into a fine powder, but not too much that it becomes dust?"

"Yes?"

"You're company is help enough. Although, I do appreciate the offer."

"So I'm not a distraction?"

"No," Hermione stopped talking as she counted her anticlockwise stirs. After seven, she removed the glass stirrer and smiled at the young shape shifter, "Providing you don't touch anything without my leave, you're not a distraction."

"Oh, good, because Embry said I am."

Seth squirmed in his seat and Hermione didn't hide her amusement. She smiled at the teen and prompted, "Ask your questions, Seth before you implode."

"So you're a witch."

"That's hardly a question. You already know that I am."

"Well sure," Seth squirmed again, but plowed ahead before he lost his nerve, "Do you have a cat? Do you wear pointy hats and ride a broom? I never hear you cackle and you don't have green skin or a wart or maybe you do and you can hide it. I mean you brew over a cauldron just like the cartoons so why not have a hunched back, hooked nose and green skin, but no that is too weird and…"

Hermione's laughter caused the boy to blush and his words to taper off, "Sorry, my potions professor had the hooked nose, but he was pale instead of green and as far as I know he had no warts." The witch lowered the heat under the first cauldron and moved to the second before beginning her prep work. "Okay let's see about some answers.

"I had a pet named Crookshanks. He was half cat, half kneazle which is a magical breed of cat. He was highly intelligent with a face only an owner could love, or so I was told. I thought he was rather lovely, but my friends found him hideous. He was orange and had a rather flat face. He died of old age a few years ago. I miss him greatly.

"Pointed hats were part of the school uniform which we were required to wear only for specific feasts. The elder generations still wear them on a daily basis. I find them unbecoming and rather ridiculous. I refused to wear one once I graduated.

"I can ride a broom, I simply prefer not to. I'm not particularly fond of heights or falling from said heights. I would much rather feel the solid ground under my feet, thank you very much. On the other hand, I do have friends that enjoy riding brooms and could talk for hours about the different flying styles and makers of brooms, flying techniques and stunts.

"As for hunched backs, green skin and hooked noses, you have described a hag, not a witch. I suppose for those who watch too much telly, that is an understandable mix up."

"Telly? What's a telly?"

"Slang for television."

Seth cocked his head in thought, "Like we say TV."

"Precisely," Hermione agreed. She moved back to her first cauldron and extinguished the heat source.

"Is it true you knew other werewolves?"

"Yes," Hermione began crushing the needles methodically with the stone mortar and pestle. "You do realize you're not a true werewolf, right?"

"What?" Seth sat up straight, "Yes we are."

"No, true werewolves only change with a full moon and it is involuntary, painful and dangerous. They have no control over the animal within them and no human can be near them during their transformation. There is a potion that allows them a modicum of control, but I digress. You're a pack of shape shifters, not 'children of the moon' as some call them."

"The legend calls us spirit warriors." Seth said distractedly.

"I'd love to hear these legends someday." Hermione looked to see what had caught his attention and noted the new arrivals.

"You've been summoned by the Elders." Embry looked almost apologetic when he spoke as if it pained him to say the words.

"You will be there Saturday morning at ten." Sam spoke assuredly as if it were a command rather than a suggestion.

Hermione scoffed, "I'm not one of your wolves, Mr. Uley. Your little alpha commands will not work on me."

Embry gave Sam a wary glance when the Alpha growled. The younger wolf tried to appease both parties and requested, "Will you please come on Saturday? They know that there's a witch in town and… well…"

"They are concerned about your intentions." Sam snarled.

The witch laughed softly at his choice of words and lowered the heat on her second cauldron. "My intentions… well let's see, I intend to enjoy my visit with my cousin. I intend to aid in the upcoming battle." She lined up a row of clean vials and began ladling the healing potion. "I intend to go home and back to my life." She ignored the soft whimper. "I also intend to do my best to be on time on Saturday because I refuse to pass up the opportunity to learn more about these fascinating legends of your people."

When the last vial was filled, she turned her attention to the wide eyed silent pup and asked, "Did you still want to help me, Seth?"

The young wolf nodded, but kept shooting glances at his Alpha. "Yes?"

"Take this empty cauldron outside, please. I need to wash it before I can start on the next batch." Hermione made shooing motions and the boy eagerly hopped off his stool and grabbed the cauldron before hightailing it outside to make his escape. Hermione narrowed her eyes at Sam, "You're a bully. You're so accustomed to getting your way with these boys that you forget your place. I'm not a vampire, so you have no reason to hate me. I'm a witch with considerable talent and you will stop trying to treat me as a subordinate or the enemy. You're frightening Seth and unnerving Embry. Just grow up, Sam Uley. The world does not revolve around you."

"How dare-"

"Silencio," she casted the spell quickly, stopping his tirade before it had a chance to begin. Sam's eyes narrowed angrily as he bared his teeth, Embry's eyes widened and he moved as if to put himself between the two. Hermione held up her hand to stop him, "You are a guest in this home. You'll not start trouble here. That would be rude. Finite."

"Saturday," Sam growled and left in a huff.

Embry let out his breath slowly and looked at her as if he had never seen her before in his entire life, regardless of the fact that they had met two days earlier. "You're not afraid of him."

It wasn't a question, but Hermione responded anyhow. She shrugged her shoulders and began labeling the vials with a name and date, "Of course not. He reminds me of my old potions professor. He was a snarky, snarling, unpleasant, greasy bully that was angry at the world, resented the position he was put in and was utterly brilliant.

"If I had to guess, Sam is an angry little boy that wants to take his toys and go home." Hermione smiled when Embry let out a barking laugh. She set aside the filled vials and moved to her second cauldron to fill the next set of vials. "I don't know him, so naturally I could be wrong. I just know his type."

"I see." Embry leaned against the counter and watched her work. "So you'll really go on Saturday to meet with the Elders?"

"Yes," Hermione set the ladle down, "for two reasons."

"Oh?"

"One: I really would like to hear these legends."

"And two?"

"You," Hermione didn't elaborate as she labeled the vials.

"Me?" Embry prompted, "Why me?"

"You didn't command or demand or whatever it is Sam tried." Hermione smiled at the young man, "I appreciate that. So my second reason is because you asked nicely."

Embry ducked his head shyly and muttered, "Thanks," then cleared his throat trying to change the subject, "so what are these?"

"Healing potions," Hermione motioned for him to grab the empty cauldron and moved towards the door, "I still need to make blood replenishing potions and if I have time bruising salves. Truthfully with the rate that your lot heal and regenerate, I may not need to make any." They joined Seth outside and she motioned the two to the outdoor spigot. "I need to scrub these clean and I can't use magic or it leaves residuals that may affect the next batch I brew."

The two boys immediately began scrubbing the cauldrons and Hermione watched in amusement. Esme was suddenly by her side and asked, "When do I get my kitchen back?"

"You can have it now, if you need it. Why?"

"I'm sure these boys are ravenous and need to be fed."

Hermione laughed at the two boys as they looked up at the vampire and nodded eagerly. "Bottomless pits, the pair of you."

Embry gave a sheepish grin, "It's the phasing; our metabolism is crazy high. We have to eat often to keep our bodies in fighting condition."

"I'd like to run some diagnostics. Would you mind?"

The two boys glanced at each other and shrugged. "Sure."

"Excellent," Hermione beamed, "When you're done with those, leave them upside down on the porch to dry. I'll go clean up the working space so Esme can have her kitchen back. Can't have you two starving on us. Gods preserve us if the Elders think we're hurting two of their pups."

Embry growled low at being called a pup, but Hermione only grinned and dragged Esme into the kitchen with her. "Stop," Hermione said as she began putting away her ingredients.

"Stop what?" Esme put on an innocent look that fooled no one.

"You've been reading again. I can see the questions in your eyes. No, it was probably not true. And if it is, I probably don't want to talk about it." Hermione sighed and cleaned her utensils. "Honestly, I left that life of adventure and insanity to go to university. I left the wars, battles and killing to become a healer." She tapped her wand on the storage box she was keeping her supplies in and everything began soaring into it, shuffling around automatically in order for everything to fit.

"So dragons don't exist?"

"Dragons?" Hermione blinked in surprise and shook her head with a soft smile. She hadn't expected that question, but was willing to answer all the same. "Yes, dragons do exist. They're quite lovely, quite deadly and the majority of the species live on dragon preserves. I'm sure there are numerous books at the store we visited that can tell you about each type. I only remember a few: Common Welsh Green, Chinese Fireball, Hungarian Horntail, Swedish Short-Snout, Norwegian Ridgeback and Ukrainian Ironbelly."

Esme noticeably perked at the mention of the first four species, "So the Triwizard Tournament was real."

"Yes," Hermione responded hesitantly.

"Fascinating," Esme went about cooking supper for the boys, pointedly not asking more questions.

* * *

 **AN:** I was bored. Usually when I'm bored I take it out on my husband, but he's on a plane right now so instead you folks get another chapter.

 **SereniteRose:** You're a peach. I'm not a huge Bella fan either. I adore Hermione, though. I'm hoping to portray her as her strong brilliant self.


	5. The Town

**The Town**

The vampire decided it was high time Hermione continued 'sightseeing' and started with downtown Forks. The pair drove through the town and parked on Main Street. Hermione smiled at the small quaint town with a very rural appeal. "Where do you shop, Esme?"

"Whatever do you mean, Hermione. Naturally we shop locally at-"

"Careful, Esme," Hermione grinned mischievously, "If you name a store, we're going straight there and you will have to purchase a new outfit to sport around town."

Esme's laughter tinkled musically. "Fine. I shop either in Port Angeles or Seattle; depending on what I'm shopping for." Esme shot the witch an amused look and mentioned, "I try to shop locally, but as you can see, there isn't much here to choose from. I do pick up groceries from the family owned market on occasion, but their selection leaves much to be desired."

"You want quality ingredients even though you don't eat," Hermione agreed. While the food was all for appearance's sake, the wife of a well renowned doctor would not settle for anything but the best.

"Exactly," Esme laughed softly, "While I feed Bella on occasion - and now you and the bottomless pits of the pack - the majority of the grocery shopping was done in order to appear as a normal family, doing normal everyday human things."

"What did you do with the food you made before you had us to feed?"

"Bella brought leftovers to her father. He thinks I take pity on him and make extra to ensure he's well fed." Hermione laughed softly as Esme continued, "When I'm in a baking mood, Carlisle brings it to work. The staff loves me for it."

"I'd imagine so!"

"When I don't manage to cook the food, the purchased items are donated to food banks in Seattle." Esme smiled warmly, "While I hate the idea of my family being in danger, cooking for you, Bella and the pack has been a fortuitous boon. I've really enjoyed cooking for those boys. They eat so heartily."

The two women stepped from the car and Hermione closed her eyes allowing for a moment of peaceful reflection in order to feel the small town atmosphere that surrounded her. The witch turned her attention to Esme with a surprised smile, "I find it amazing that even here, away from Ehwaz, there's such a distinct magical feeling to a Muggle town. There isn't much of a magical signature, but it is definitely here if one simply knows what to look for. I can only imagine how strong the magic must be near La Push."

"I don't follow," Esme asked for clarification or, at minimum, elaboration.

They stood together and spoke softly, to avoid any pedestrians from overhearing their conversation. It wasn't as if Hermione could erect a privacy ward in the middle of town; Forks was a Muggle area after all. Hermione chose her words carefully, "You live within a non-magical community, filled with non-magical beings. As I mentioned previously your family members are, for all intents and purposes, magical creatures. Then there are the shape shifters in the next town who have their own distinct magical signatures. I'd imagine your hunting grounds have a signature as well.

"That's why the area Jasper chose for the confrontation was ideal. Other than being far enough away from the town and its people, the magical signature there is favorable to you and your family stacking the odds in our favor. All thanks to your family's magic." Hermione quickly amended when she saw Esme become confused, "Not saying any of your family is magical like I am; just that all beings have a touch of magic in them. How else can you explain your children's gifts?"

Esme gave the witch a smile, "I had never thought of it that way. As for the location, we'll take any advantage given to us. We'd be foolish not to."

Hermione missed the last bit of what her friend was saying, her attention was drawn to a tall man with brown curly hair. The soft waves softened the man's strong square jawline, yet didn't take away from his masculinity. He had a friendly smile when he greeted a passerby and the uniform he wore did wonders for his physique. The witch bit her lip and leaned closer to Esme in order to ask, "Who is that?"

Esme tried not to laugh when she answered, "That is Charlie Swan, Chief of Police and Bella's father." Esme waited a beat before continuing, "He's also single."

"What?" Hermione blushed feeling like teenager again. "Why would that be important?"

"Come along, you must be starving. You didn't exactly allow me to cook for you this morning and don't try to convince me that a bit of toast and a cup of tea was enough to sustain you." Esme steered Hermione towards the diner that Charlie had just entered. "Besides, it's lunch time. You need something… more than I can provide."

"Very eloquently put, thank you." Hermione shook her head chuckling softly, "And you're not nearly as subtle as you may think you are."

"Yet you'll come with me to the diner."

It wasn't a question, but Hermione deemed to respond anyhow. "Naturally; what sort of person would I be if I merely dismissed such sound advice from a concerned friend? I need sustenance, ergo our going to the diner to ensure I get something… more… is simply logical."

They were giggling like old friends and the entire diner had come to a stop when the two women walked in. Nearly every head within sight was turned in their direction. Esme simply smiled beautifully, while Hermione swept her gaze at the customers.

The hostess asked, "Table for two?"

"That would be lovely, thank you." Esme agreed before gently tugging the young woman along with her. The patrons turned back to their meals or to huddle together in order to gossip about the two women that had just entered the establishment.

As they passed the police chief's table, Esme came to a stop with a faux surprised look on her beautiful features and greeted the man as if their running into each other was purely fortuitous happenstance, "Why, Charlie Swan, how delightful it is to see you. How are you today?"

The man's head snapped up from the newspaper he had been reading. Charlie gave a crooked smile to the vampire along with a polite nod as he stood from his table, "I'm fine, thanks. How's the family, Mrs. Cullen?"

His eyes looked pointedly at the stranger, but he didn't ask who she was. Not yet anyhow, for it was quite obvious by the question in his eyes that the man would ask if they weren't introduced… and soon.

"Now Charlie, we're practically family, I know I've asked you to call me Esme." Charlie didn't respond past a curt nod, still watching the unknown woman. Esme deemed to answer both questions: the verbal and the unasked. "The family is doing quite well, thank you for asking. You may have heard from Bella that Alice's cousin is visiting from London." Esme simply kept her easy smile plastered to her face and guided Hermione forward towards the officer, "Charlie, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is our Chief of Police, Charlie Swan."

Hermione held her hand out to the man, "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Swan. Or do you prefer being called Chief Swan?"

Charlie took the young woman's hand in his for a firm handshake. His smile was polite and curious, "Everyone just calls me Charlie, Mrs. Granger."

"It's Miss Granger, but I'd be honored if you'd call me Hermione." The witch had inadvertently stepped closer to the man as their hands touched and the pair stood staring at each other for a while longer than was probably polite.

"Would you two ladies like to join me for lunch?"

Hermione didn't bother looking at Esme - knowing that the woman's goal was to introduce the witch to the police chief - and gave a pleased smile, "We'd be delighted."

The chief cleared his throat and released Hermione's hand, before motioning the two to take a seat in the booth across from him. Esme slipped onto the bench allowing Hermione to sit across from Charlie and played her part to a 'T', "That's very kind of you, Charlie."

"It's nothing," Charlie took his seat once the two women were situated and the hostess, without missing a beat, set down the two menus before making herself scarce. "As you said, we're practically family."

The sentiment was practically forced, which caught Hermione's attention even if she didn't comment. The witch stowed that bit of information for later perusal if and when time permitted. "What's good here?"

"Depends on what you're hungry for," Charlie admitted as he pulled his silverware from his napkin. "It's a bit of 'home cooking away from home', really." He then glanced at the witch and gave a halted chuckle, "Well for an American family. I'm not sure I know what British people eat."

"Fish and chips are a common staple for most food stops and local pub fare, but we've been known to eat a good cheeseburger with crisps as well, naturally."

"Do you like meatloaf?" Charlie asked as he pointedly tapped the menu, "Today's special is meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy."

"Is that anything like shepherd's pie?" Hermione asked.

Charlie's eyebrows drew together in thought while Esme gave a small laugh and answered, "Not exactly, but it is similar in that there is potatoes, ground meat and a vegetable. Meatloaf is traditionally made with beef, whereas shepherd's pie is commonly made with lamb. It isn't cooked in the same manner either."

"Shame that; I simply adore shepherd's pie. Mum had the best recipe I've ever had, but her steak and kidney pie was horrific. Not that I ever admitted that to her, mind you."

"Give it a try, dear; you may enjoy it." Esme encouraged.

"Is that what you suggest, Charlie?" Hermione asked.

Charlie's head snapped up from the fork that he had been staring at quite intently, "What's that?"

Hermione smiled at the man and leaned forward across the table. "Do you suggest the meatloaf?"

"Yes," Charlie cleared his throat and set aside his fork. "I always get the special."

"The chef salad looks interesting, Esme." Hermione pointed the salad out to the vampire, who hadn't even bothered to look at her menu yet.

Esme gave a small nod, "Then that is what I'll have."

Once their order had been taken by the hovering waitress, Charlie finally asked, "I thought Alice was adopted; how exactly did you manage to find her?"

Esme explained that easily enough, "Alice was a young teen when she came to us, so there wasn't any point of hiding the adoption from her or anyone else for that matter."

Hermione took over seamlessly, "So finding her wasn't exactly difficult. You'd be amazed at what and who you can find via the internet these days. Once I found Great Aunt Mary, it was only a matter of hours to find her grandchildren. They were the ones that told me about Alice. I found her records in Mississippi and then eventually made my way here."

"Hermione is such a sweetheart that we immediately adored her and asked her to stay at our home with us." Esme smiled at the witch as they shared a knowing look.

"Let's not forget your desire for adult conversation considering you have all those teens at home," Hermione reminded her.

"How long will you be staying in Forks?" Charlie took a sip of his water and set it down, sitting back when the waitress brought their meals out. "Thanks, Betty."

"Welcome, Chief." The waitress said it with little to no inflection in her voice as if she had said it a dozen times a day. Which considering her job, wasn't too far-fetched of a notion.

"I'm not sure," Hermione smiled briefly at the waitress with a soft 'thanks' and turned her attention back to the man before her. "I promised Alice I'd stick around for her graduation. Edward mentioned the wedding, but I'm not sure how Bella would feel about a virtual stranger crashing her special day."

"You're family, Hermione. I'm sure Bella will not begrudge the maid of honor the opportunity to invite her long lost cousin. Besides, the wedding is months away which gives the two of you a chance to get to know each other better." Esme looked between Charlie and Hermione making it perfectly clear, at least to the witch, which 'two' the vampire meant.

"You look rather lost in thought, Charlie." Hermione noted, "Is having company too much of a distraction?"

Charlie blinked back to the here and now, giving Hermione a crooked grin. "Sorry."

"Is everything okay?"

"No," the police chief winced visibly, "Don't mean to be so blunt about things. It's just that the killings in Seattle are too close to home; even if they're over a hundred miles away."

"I heard very little about any killings. The news kept insisting they were only missing."

"It's both," Charlie sighed and toyed with his fork stabbing his meatloaf distractedly, "There are some missing; the younger folks: college and high school aged. Then there are the dead ones which defy age classifications."

"No leads, I take it." Hermione bit her bottom lip in thought.

"Not really, no." Charlie shot her an apologetic look, "Sorry. This isn't exactly proper mealtime conversation."

Hermione gave him a warm smile, "Nonsense, it was on your mind therefore open for topic. Besides, I asked, didn't I?"

* * *

Alice stilled and stared vacantly at the door at the end of the hall, a small grin spread across her dainty features. Edward forced his hand to release the door frame and ignored the splintered wood. Bella was biting her lip and as soon as Alice's trance was over asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

Edward's attention snapped in his sister's direction and if one wasn't looking closely enough, would have missed the small shake of his head. Bella stared at Alice and the small vampire gave her a warm smile, "Nothing's wrong."

"Alice," Bella started only to be cut off by Edward.

"Let it go, Bella." Edward turned his attention back to the door as he pushed it open, "Family matters are discussed at home."

Bella bit her lip again to keep from asking more questions. The last time the Cullen siblings reacted this strangely, Victoria was involved. Alice wasn't sure how the girl would take the new turn of events.

The trio slipped into the Volvo and Edward did his best not to tear out of the parking lot. He drove carefully through the town until they were on the open road towards the Cullen home. That was when Edward let go of his tight control and sped home.

As soon as the vehicle was parked, Edward was out and moving to open the car door for his mate. Alice was already through the door calling out to her cousin, "Hermione!"

The witch was in the living room with the rest of the family, sipping her tea and curled into an arm chair. Hermione smiled up at her cousin and laughed when she saw the tiny vampire bouncing excitedly. The witch chose to play coy, "Yes, Alice?"

"He's so right for you!"

"What?" Bella asked, looking from one cousin to the other, "Who is right for who?"

"Nothing?" Alice asked rather than answered and giggled as she skipped over to the witch.

Bella frowned and watched as her best friend whispered secretively with her new found cousin. "Wait, so the vision you had earlier had nothing to do with Victoria?"

Alice looked at Bella in confusion, "No. Why would you think it was about her?"

"Edward nearly tore the door frame to bits!" Bella spun on Edward and was taken aback when she noted the hard look he was giving to Hermione. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Edward groused.

"You sure aren't behaving as if it was nothing." Bella sat on the couch near her friend and the witch, "If the vision you had was about some new boyfriend…" She looked utterly confused and was trying desperately to piece things together.

Hermione set her cup down and shrugged, "I met someone today. He's… well, he's…"

"Handsome?" Alice prompted.

"Sexy," Hermione clarified, "Sweet, sexy… clever, sexy, single, as Esme so kindly pointed out before introducing us," she paused and remembered another bit of information she had been told and thought she'd tease the young teenager a bit, "Did I mention how utterly divine he looks in uniform? I think I wouldn't mind a go with him while handcuffed to a bed."

"What?!" Bella shrieked.

Hermione winced at the volume and noted each vampire recoiled from the decibels. The witch didn't bat an eye as she deadpanned, "Charlie wears a uniform that he looks rather fit in, not to mention the convenient handcuffs that adorn his belt; he's the Chief of Police, you know."

"I know. He's my _father_!" Bella wrinkled her nose in distaste, "He's not sexy. He's… he's… he's Charlie!"

The witch shrugged dismissively, "He's a bit seasoned, but I prefer older men. They tend to be less immature than the men my age. Besides, it isn't as if I intend to marry the man. I'm only here on holiday."

" _Ew_!" Bella waved the woman off, "Just ew!"

Hermione laughed, "Relax, Bella. I'm just taking the mickey. Charlie's not my new boyfriend." Edward's hard looked turned bemused, but the witch focused on the girl, "I'm not going to get involved with a man while on holiday. Besides he isn't the sort to have a mindless one off. Although I do think he's quite the dish."

* * *

 **AN:** I can't help it. I like Charlie. He's rather clueless and sweet. Hope you aren't too weirded out by the age difference, but I did the math. Hermione is born in 1979. Bella was changed in Sept 2006 at age 18 (barely, she was days away from 19). So she graduated June of 2006 which is when this story is happening making Hermione 26 years old whereas Charlie would be 42 with an age difference of 16 years. And really, that isn't much as far as a witch is concerned.

My favorite part about this Hermione / Charlie flirting thing is that it is fun to play with and it squicks Bella out. Fun times!

I seem to be posting these chapters every other day... ish. That isn't exactly intentional. Truth is, I'm posting when I remember to. This chapter pushes us past the 1/4 mark. It won't be long now and we'll be all done!


	6. The Elders

**The Elders**

Billy had extended an invitation to Hermione - via Jacob, who was waylaid into guard duty by Sam, who grudgingly went and told the witch to show up for the meeting - to go to La Push and meet the Elders of the Quileute tribe. Sam was - as always - cantankerous and petulant when delivering the message making the invite a demand rather than a request. Despite Sam's lack of social skills, Hermione was looking forward to her visit.

Since the Cullen family wasn't allowed to set foot on the reservation, Hermione had found it necessary to find an alternate mode of travel to the reservation. Having never been there, the witch couldn't simply apparate to La Push. Thankfully Bella had volunteered to drive her to her meeting.

Hermione knocked on the front door to the Swan home at exactly 9 AM. It was a modest two story building that looked like every other house on the block. The witch grinned at the sight. Apparently England wasn't the only place that had tract housing.

The door opened and instead of the small brunette the witch had been expecting, Hermione was granted a vision of masculinity that she found delightful. The police chief was wearing faded denims, a white t-shirt and an open flannel shirt over the ensemble. Charlie looked stunned to see the woman, "Miss Granger?"

"I thought we made it past the formalities, Charlie." Hermione mock pouted up at the man, which didn't hide the humor in her eyes as she teased him, "You were doing so well at lunch. I hope you haven't changed your mind about me?"

"Sorry, Hermione. You took me by surprise. I didn't expect to see you on my doorstep." Charlie grinned sheepishly, "Please, come in. Can I get you something to drink?"

Hermione had stepped into the living room and was about to answer when Bella bustled into the room while throwing on a light jacket. The woman hadn't made it very far into the house as Charlie closed the front door, causing them to stand rather close to each other. Bella came to an abrupt stop and stared at the pair. Hermione simply raised an eyebrow at the girl and chose to tease the teen by turning back to the man and laying her hand on his forearm while answering him. "You're such a gentleman."

Bella practically growled, "No time for chit chat, Charlie. We have to go."

"What?" Charlie frowned at the two females. "Did I miss something?"

"Not at all," Hermione laughed softly, her hand that had been resting on Charlie's arm slid upwards and she straightened his collar. She was thoroughly enjoying the little 'ew' faces the chief's daughter made. "Bella has graciously offered to show me around La Push. Billy has managed to set up a meeting for me with the Elders."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up at that tidbit of information, surprisingly not distancing himself from Hermione. His eyebrows soon drew together as he connected the dots to his conclusion, his gaze never leaving the witch's dancing eyes, "Billy had called off today's fishing trip so he could attend a meeting with the Elders. He said they're interviewing a healer that may take up a temporary post while Doc Melody is on maternity leave."

Hermione bit her lip. She hadn't been told that a cover story would be necessary. At least she didn't have to lie to the man… not entirely. Hermione went with it, "That healer would be me."

"You're not old enough to have a degree, let alone be a board certified doctor." Charlie's eyes searched her face and Hermione beamed up at him.

"That's kind of you to say," Hermione assured him, "In the UK we graduate at age seventeen. Three years as an undergraduate, four years at Cambridge with the last two years working rounds and weekend shifts towards my residency. I'm already certified as - what you in the US call - a physician assistant. I have two more years of residency before I can be board certified."

"But you're so young."

Hermione leaned closer to the man, "I'm twenty-six, Charlie. I'm plenty old enough."

Bella gaped at the two gesturing wildly at Hermione, but Charlie didn't seem to notice her because he was too busy staring at Hermione. "So you'll stay around for a while?"

"I haven't decided when I'm leaving yet," Hermione admitted with a small shrug. "I haven't had a look at the facility, nor have I spoken with the Quileute Elders. There's always the possibility that we're not a good fit, but I'm quite convinced we're compatible. I'm only on holiday, but I could easily extend it to a sabbatical giving their current doctor time to heal. I imagine the right incentive could make the decision to stay easier."

The witch shot a look at Bella who snapped her mouth closed and waved off her father, "We don't want to be late. Wouldn't look good for Hermione to be late to her interview."

Charlie cleared his throat at the interruption and did his best to hide his amusement from Bella. His daughter wasn't subtle in her attempt to separate the two. Apparently Charlie had seen his daughter's frantic waving after all. The Chief gave the witch a conspiratorial wink, "Right. Good luck." He opened the front door for the two females. Charlie took hold of Hermione's hand before she moved away and gave it a small squeeze. His voice dropped an octave when he said, "It was a pleasure seeing you again, Hermione."

"I hope this isn't the last time we meet." Hermione stepped outside followed by Bella.

Bella couldn't stop herself; she hissed under her breath at the witch, "That's my father."

They had made it a few steps before the witch glanced over her shoulder at the police chief. He had a huge grin and his shoulders were shaking from the laughter. Hermione beamed at him, "Don't forget, Charlie. You owe me a cup of tea."

Bella groaned and tugged the witch away from the house, "Gross."

"There's nothing wrong with innocent flirting."

"Is that what you call it? Innocent?" Bella scowled as they got into her truck. "I think Charlie must have gone three shades of red. You're shameless."

"He's a grown man with a grown man's needs." Hermione laughed when Bella groaned again, "You make teasing you much too easy."

* * *

"Taha Aki's descendants no longer turned to wolves when they reached manhood. It was only when a cold one was near would the pack return. The cold ones always came in low numbers, one or two, so the pack stayed small, for 3 wolves could easily beset them. This held true for many years until a larger coven came and settled in the area.

"The leader of the coven spoke with the Spirit Chief, Ephraim Black, as if he were a mere man and not a cold one. He promised not to harm the Quileutes, nor infringe on our lands. His strange yellow eyes gave proof of his words, and a treaty was offered to the tribe. Ephraim wisely accepted the terms and it has held thus far." Billy's deep timber trailed off and Hermione found herself taking a deep breath as if she had been holding it for the duration of the tale.

The witch's head was reeling from so much information and could feel the questions burning inside her begging to come out. Billy smiled at the young woman and gave a small nod before Hermione asked her first, "While Black isn't an uncommon surname, I'm guessing you're directly related to Ephraim Black. Which makes sense really, seeing how Jacob is a shapeshifter, but if he is directly descended to Ephraim, why isn't he the Alpha?"

Jacob grimaced visibly before turning away. Hermione nearly retracted the question - thinking it may be considered pack business - when Sam responded. His voice was an unusual monotone compared to his perpetually angry snapping when speaking to the witch, "I phased first."

Hermione simply nodded because truth be told, the response didn't make sense to her, but she wasn't part of the pack and its dynamics were none of her concern, even if she was overly curious. If the pack was pleased with its hierarchy, then it wasn't her place to reestablish the ranks. She turned her attention back to Billy and glanced at the wheel chair he sat in, "I'm also guessing that no… cold ones came during your generation."

"That's right," Billy gripped the arm of his wheelchair and frowned, "I lost one of my best friends to a boating accident. I lost my mobility due to diabetes. These things would have been avoided had we shifted and gained their benefits.

"Don't misunderstand me, I don't regret my life. I enjoyed the peace I was allowed, as did my father before me. I only wish my son could have peace to find love and grow old, but that is not to be. There are things in life that are simply out of our control: such as phasing into a wolf, imprinting or becoming a witch or wizard."

Hermione smiled at the mention of her learning about being a witch, but it faded to confusion as Billy's words sunk in, "I'm sorry… imprinting? What's that?"

Billy cleared his throat and glanced at the members of the pack that had joined them for the meeting. Sam was growling low in his chest. Leah stiffened and glared at Sam. Others had various reactions: awkwardness, nervousness, sadness or simple acceptance. Hermione bit her bottom lip and waved it off, "Sorry if I asked too personal a question. Obviously I don't need to hear all of the pack's secrets."

Jacob ran his fingers through his black hair and corrected her, "It isn't a complete secret. The leeches," the boy smirked in amusement when both the witch and Bella huffed at him, "know about imprinting.

"Every wolf has a mate. Werewolves, shape shifters, true wolves… they all have one. I don't know about werewolves and wolves or how they pick their mate: by scent or just some primal knowledge. But shape shifters - and wasn't that a kick in the teeth to find out we aren't really werewolves, like we thought - well, we imprint.

"It's more than a movie's version of love at first sight. It's more like… gravity shifts… suddenly. When your eyes meet, it's not the earth holding you here anymore, she does… Your sole purpose in life is her. You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend."

"Does the…"

"Imprintee…"

"Imprintee?" Hermione wrinkled her nose, "That's not a real word." She sighed when Jacob simply shrugged, "Fine… does the imprintee always return these feelings?"

The entire pack grew quiet on that question. Once again, Hermione realized a beat too late that she had tread in some very uncomfortable waters. Leah sighed heavily and responded - through gritted teeth - ignoring the growl from her Alpha, "Yes, eventually. It's happened before where the imprintee tried to reject the wolf, but eventually - either through stubborn _stalker_ persistence or the draw of the 'need to be with the other half of your soul' - the couple ends up together."

"Intriguing," Hermione canted her head and stared off for a moment as she thought aloud, "There're rumors of such things in the wizarding world. Soul mates… bond mates… they are not an uncommon topic of legends and fictitious tales. Only they exist, they're… real…. how utterly fascinating."

Hermione turned her attention back to the only elder that had deemed to speak with her so far and asked, "So now that you've indulged me with stories, am I to be interrogated?"

While the other Elders shuffled in their seats, Billy grinned, "Interviewed, yes."

"Interviewed?" Hermione peered at Billy, "That's the same word Charlie used."

Billy's eyes narrowed, "What about Charlie?"

"Oh, nothing sinister," She waved off his concern, "When I stopped by at the Swan home this morning I spoke with the man. He mentioned you were unavailable to go fishing today because you had to interview a potential Healer replacement." Hermione shook her head, "I didn't correct his assumption on the true purpose of this meeting."

"And what do perceive the true purpose of this meeting is?" Billy asked the witch.

"As I said… I was lead to believe this would be an interrogation." Hermione's eyes flicked to the Alpha and back to Billy, "I was told my intentions were being questioned."

Someone in the pack growled deeply. Hermione glanced again at Sam, but it wasn't him since he looked somewhat surprised at the reaction. Billy spoke over the noise and asked, "Would you answer a few questions?"

"Perhaps," Hermione responded honestly, "If I believe them to be too personal, I may refuse."

Billy and a few other Elders nodded in understanding. Hermione sat back and looked around the circular room at the various people gathered. She bit back a sigh when the frowning, hostile Elder - Frank, if Hermione remembered correctly - spoke first, "What is your business here?"

Hermione kept her features neutral, but immediately glanced over to Paul. It almost amused the witch to note just where the shape shifter got his temper from. The woman was pleased to note the teen dropped his head into the palm of his hands. It was as if he was anticipating her response and knew things would get ugly before it got better. With the younger man in mind, Hermione toyed with his father, pushing at buttons simply to gain a reaction. "I was invited by the Quileute Council to speak with the Elders."

Frank's eyes narrowed and the witch fought not to grin when Paul groaned. The Elder barked out, "You know full well I meant in Forks. Why are you here?"

She sat up straighter at his rude clipped tone. Dealing with Sam was one thing, Paul another, but that was a new height of insolence and Frank bordered on Malfoy arrogance, which was saying something. Hermione refused to back down. Her back stiffened, her shoulders drew back and she looked at him with narrowed eyes. Her accent was clipped and her words precise, "Indeed. I did know what you meant when you uttered your first poorly phrased question.

"Need I remind you, that you are an Elder of the Quileute Council and as such, what goes on in Forks is beyond your jurisdiction? That said, my business there is none of your concern.

" _But_ ," Hermione continued in order to cut off the retort that Frank began to sputter, "I will deign to answer regardless of how rudely the question was asked. It is a valid concern for the council when any stranger is within the midst of your youth, especially these boys for they are your only defense against the 'cold ones'.

"That said. I came to Forks to aid my cousin in the upcoming battle with the Seattle newborn vampire army. I can't very well leave her and her family to their own fate without at least trying to minimize any casualties. I was raised better than that. She is family after all."

"So you're _really_ related to Alice?" Bella blurted out the question and all heads turned in her direction. The girl blushed profusely when she realized she spoke aloud during the meeting and apparently was trying to will the chair she was sitting on to swallow her whole.

"Yes," Hermione was a bit thrown from the sudden diversion from the previous conversation. They had come so close to an all-out verbal war only to be waylaid by Bella. "Alice is… was… she's my great, great grandmother's great niece."

"Charlie Swan wasn't wrong," the only Elder woman spoke up, interrupting the talk of family history and getting the conversation back on track. "We do need a healer to replace our current physician. She's highly pregnant and we need someone to run the clinic. Our tribe had been going to Forks General until the Cullen coven arrived. Once their sire started working there, we boycotted the facility."

"You boycotted the hospital, because of Carlisle?" Hermione frowned and pursed her lips in disapproval, "That was rather short sighted of your tribe. You've allowed your prejudice to override your tribe's need and kept them away from one of the only facilities that can treat your people in an emergency."

Frank stiffened and opened his mouth as if to go off on another of his tirades, "That's not-"

"Please don't insult my intelligence," Hermione cut the man off again in an attempt to stave off his venomous words. "That's _exactly_ what you've done and now you have need of me to cover for your pregnant healer who will most likely not come back once she has given birth."

"You don't know-"

"Don't be ridiculous." Hermione waved her hand with a rude dismissal, "You know nothing of me or my past. If your healer comes back at all, it will be a year or so from the time of birth. I work in a hospital, it happens all the time, even with witches who can heal fully within days.

"Yet there is something I'm missing. As I stated, you're in need of a healer. What I haven't pieced together yet, is why you've set your sights on me."

Apparently Frank had had enough and stood up in a snit, "We don't need you!"

"Excellent, so I'm free to go." Hermione glared at Frank, stood and flicked her wrist. Her wand was instantly in hand, "Come along, Bella. It's time to leave the narrowed minded Tribe Council to their destruction."

The girl was unsure what to do and looked with pleading eyes towards Jacob and Billy.

"Now see here," Frank simply refused to keep his tongue and lashed out about vampires, silly women who thought themselves above their station and pretty much anything that he could rant about. Sue huffed in indignation, apparently quite offended by Hermione's assumption that she was prejudiced. Some members of the pack were growing restless when the shouting started. Hermione simply watched quietly as the Elders argued.

"Enough," 'Old Quil' the eldest of the council stopped the conversations in the room with a single word that was spoken in a low gravelly growl. "Miss Granger, I'm sure you have your reasons for your stand on vampires, especially since you are related to one. After hearing our tribe's history, I'm sure you can understand why our people feel the way we do about the cold ones."

"I don't begrudge your tribe from being leery of vampires in general. The vampires I've encountered during battle were ruthless, cold blooded killers. Yet there are always exceptions. Sanguini visited a school filled with human children and remained civil throughout his time in the castle. No blood was spilled; no one was killed or bitten. And we all know my cousin and her family who do their best to respect human life and feed purely on animals." Hermione was curious to where Quil was going with his input to the conversation. "I do, on the other hand, have trouble with narrow minded prejudices. They turn on an entire race or species, ignoring any exceptions."

"Please," Old Quil gestured for her to take a seat. Hermione took a calming breath and sat gracefully in the chair. "The purpose of your visit is not to sway your feelings about your family member or her kind. You are an anomaly in our area. While we are aware of magic and those who wield it, they tend to stay to themselves."

"It's out of necessity." Hermione elaborated, "We have to live by our laws and one is the statue of secrecy. Those that do not know of magic are to remain unknowing to keep us safe from those who would wish us harm."

Old Quil frowned at the young woman, "The young ones say you're on vacation. They informed us that you intend to go home sometime after the battle."

"Yes." Hermione agreed.

"That's a shame." The Elder stated, but didn't elaborate immediately; he appeared to be lost in thought for a moment before asking, "Is there anything we could offer to change your mind?"

Old Quil's response took her by surprise. Hermione attempted to speak twice before she finally managed a small, "I'm confused. You _want_ me to stay?"

The old man gave a wearied nod, but surprised her further when he clarified the request, "Not just to stay in Forks, we would like you to stay here in La Push. It would be good to have magic on our lands again."

"You have magic," Hermione pointed out by gesturing towards the pack members. "It's everywhere on the reservation. I felt it when I arrived on your lands. Even Forks has a faint aura due to the influences of both the pack and the coven."

"Yes, but to have a witch here would have a positive effect on the land and on its people… our people." Old Quil continued, "We had our shamans - healers - but the profession died out over the years. The gifted ones moved off the reservation to go to the magic schools and didn't come back."

"It's rare for witches and wizards to live and work among muggles - non-magical people - once they've lived in the wizarding world. I can understand the struggle. I was born to a muggle couple, so I was raised among them. I was told at age eleven that I am a witch. Once I was in the magical world, going back to my parents' home for holidays was awkward.

"To suddenly curb our true nature is challenging." Hermione saw a plethora of confused looks and elaborated, "On an average morning: you wake up to an electric alarm clock, make breakfast on a gas cooker, after you bathe you'd dry off with a towel, perhaps use a blower dryer on your hair.

"Now let's compare that to how I start my day: I wake to a magical alarm," Without a word, Hermione flicked her wrist to release her wand into her hand, catching the attention of the entire room. She then quietly set an alarm for three minutes and continued speaking, "I can have my breakfast made by a house elf if I had one or simply speed things up since I don't." The witch conjured a small table, then a tea kettle and set it on the table before filling it with water. Hermione warmed the water until the kettle whistled. "I don't have tea leaves with me, but I'm sure you understand my meaning.

"Do be careful, that is hot." Hermione warned Seth as he had tentatively reached out to touch the kettle. The witch smiled patiently when he hissed in pain, "I did warn you."

Hermione took the boy's hand in hers and set a cooling charm onto his fingertips. Seth's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome. Now after breakfast I'd bathe, but instead of a towel I'd use drying charms." The witch looked questioningly at Seth who grinned widely and nodded. With a mischievous grin, Hermione doused Seth with a quick aguamenti, causing the shape shifter to sputter and laugh at the chilling water, but when he tried to shake the water off she quickly immobilized him and dried him using only her magic. As Hermione released the teen, she reprimanded him. "You agreed to help my demonstration, the others did not."

Seth gave her a sheepish grin and it was at that point that her wand began vibrating while letting off a rhythmic burst of short whistles. "My alarm," Hermione ended the alarm and returned her focus to the others in order to finish her explanation, "I work in a wizarding hospital where I use magic daily for hours on end. Not just for diagnostic purposes, but - as you just witnessed - also to treat my patience.

"Your boys have to hide who and what they are from the majority of the town's people. By asking me to stay in La Push, you're asking me to do the same." Hermione sighed softly, "I cannot, I _will_ not, deny who and what I am. I fought in a civil war at the age of seventeen with and against magical beings of all sorts. We fought for our right to exist."

* * *

She strolled down the hallway. Hermione was making her way down a corridor to meet with the tribe healer. The witch tried to ignore her feeling of unease, but the extremely tall, teenager towering over her kept shooting her curious glances. Hermione was feeling downright twitchy.

"Doc Melody is close." Embry stopped walking, closed his eyes and slowed his breathing as he listened. His hand rose slowly and he pointed down the hall they just came down, "She's in a room… writing… alone…" The shape shifter's eyes snapped open, "Her office, three doors down on the left."

"How…"

"I smelled her perfume when we passed."

"So what was with the closing your eyes and the pointing and…"

"Makes it look more dramatic and magicky." Embry grinned and wiggled his fingers at her when he said 'magicky'.

"Oh you!" Hermione laughed and smacked his arm. "Come on." She was still chuckling when she playfully bumped her shoulder into his arm, "Magicky isn't a word."

"Maybe not in English…"

"Definitely not in English," Hermione teased back, "perhaps in 'American'?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can. We're friends, Embry," Hermione stopped walking to face the teen when he frowned and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Embry leaned against the wall to face her, but still not looking at her as if his feet held his answers. "I was just thinking on something you said at the meeting with the Elders."

"I said many things in that meeting." Hermione leaned against the opposite wall facing the teen and sighed softly, wrapping her arms around her middle "More than I should have."

"Nah," The shape shifter finally looked at her and shook his head, "You said some things that have been bugging me and I never dared to ask why. More like I can't ask. Some things just… are. Like boycotting the hospital… I'm not a huge fan of the blood suckers-"

"Embry!"

"-but the Cullen clan has never done anything to us." Embry continued as if she had never attempted to reprimand him, "They've kept their promises… for now. Things are going to get ugly when Bella marries him and he turns her…"

"I've heard." Hermione prompted, "So what did you want to ask me?"

Embry's eyes swept the hallway and came back to her. He looked anxious, but determined. The shape shifter took deep breath before asking, "Are you… dating… anyone?"

Hermione looked at the boy in front of her. The pair stared each other down, brown eyes clashing with brown. He was at least thirty centimeters taller than her with darker brown eyes and short brown hair, nearly black. For someone so young, he was quite good looking and muscular. There was an air of maturity around him that drew her to him. It was an aura that Hermione was intimately familiar with seeing how she too was forced to grow up too soon.

Only Embry was still a teen ager, still in school and she was an adult, a healer. But he just asked…

No. He's just a boy.

The witch decided not to lie. Didn't believe she could lie to him even if she tried. She took a calming breath and broke eye contact. Hermione dropped her gaze to the tiles at her feet, "No."

Embry pushed away from the wall and took a step towards her. "Would-"

Hermione saw the movement and raised her hand to stop him, "I don't know what you're thinking, but… no. We… we can't…" She tried again when he moved closer which caused her hand to rest on his chest. His heart was racing under her palm, but she was determined to make him understand. "Embry, you're a fine young man and one day you'll meet a girl that will return your feelings… who can make you happy." Hermione sighed softly when she noted the hurt look on the teen's face, "You'll grow old together, have kids, get fat and live happily ever after."

"I'm not interested in some girl." Embry countered. He held her hand to his chest, wrapping his fingers over hers. "And I won't always be this young."

"I'm twenty-six," Hermione reasoned, "Any relationship between us - other than friendship - is against the law."

"Then I'll wait two years and ask again." Embry raised her hand to his cheek and closed his eyes leaning into her touch.

Hermione was fascinated. Why hadn't she taken her hand back? Hermione watched as he inhaled the scent of her at her wrist. She tried not to allow his actions affect her, but she was failing. Worse… he seemed to know it. His nostrils flared and he softly kissed the inside of her wrist. Hermione had to stop him. The moment his lips touched her skin she felt her knees go weak. The situation was growing dangerous. Hermione tried again, but her voice wasn't nearly as firm as she had hoped. "In two years' time you'll have forgotten all about me. Not to mention that I'll be back in London."

His grip on her wrist tightened, his eyes grew dark and he growled deeply in his chest. She shivered and involuntarily stepped closer to him, "Embry… please…"

The teen's eyes closed at her plea. He loosened his hold, but didn't release her wrist. "Friends… we can be friends…"

* * *

 **AN:** First I feel compelled to apologize to SereniteRose and mionelestrange because those two pairings aren't happening here. Sorry!

Now for my original note: This pairing was not planned by me. As I've warned readers before, my silly characters tend to go off and do their own thing regardless of what I plan! I really was hoping to pair Hermione with Charlie (I like that man). As a matter of fact, the whole premise of the story that I started was to pair Hermione with Charlie, but they fought me. Stupid characters and their stupid demands…

That said.

Hermione and Embry are a thing. Although as long as he is underage it won't go 'there'. But things escalate from time to time and I am warning you now, because I won't be warning you ahead of time when it happens again. If that isn't your thing, then by all means stop reading and find something lovely to delve into and thank you for your time. Please don't blast me with hate and ugliness because I _did_ warn you!


	7. The Anticipation

**The Anticipation**

Summer vacation was approaching. Forks High School's graduation was early Friday evening. The Cullen family was determined to appear unprepared to any spies that Victoria may have had out there and the party that was scheduled for that same evening - long before knowledge of the battle was going to commence - would happen regardless of any objections from the Elders.

Before the pomp and circumstances could commence there were the final exams. Alice and Edward weren't concerned about the tests since they had done them at least a hundred times already, but the rest of the school aged 'soldiers' were forced to take some time away from training to study and prepare for them.

Training intensified and both sides, the coven and the pack, became more focused. Strategies were discussed, La Push guard duty was doubled, potions were brewed, counted and stored and magical wards were discreetly erected around the Swan home.

Many of the participants, along with the single non-combatant, were relieved when the wards were up around the Police Chief's abode. There were numerous arguments about Charlie's lack of knowledge of the upcoming confrontation. For once, Bella refrained from adding her opinion which Hermione found surprising seeing how Charlie was her father. As for the witch, Hermione could see both sides of the debate, but she knew how keeping secrets backfired with Harry and while she didn't go into too much detail, she did express her concerns. In the end it was decided that he was to remain ignorant of the incoming newborn vampire army.

Hermione cleared the area in the mountains at the site where the tent was to be set up. While Emmett gathered stones for a fire pit, Jasper set up the tent. Hermione frowned at the small structure, deep in thought. Jasper noticed her contemplation and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hermione turned towards her cousin's mate and clarified, "There's nothing wrong. I just don't see the point of having that tent. Chairs, blankets, refreshments… those items make sense. It isn't as if they'll be here for long. Besides, this isn't a wizarding tent, so there are no facilities… and won't that be awkward for the two?" Hermione lowered her tone to mimic a male voice, "Hey Bella, I need to use the loo. Turn your back and no peeking."

Jasper blinked at the last comment and then let out a laugh, "I'm not sure anyone's thought of that."

"I can probably get a tent at Ehwaz and pop back in no time." Hermione mused to herself.

Emmett was back and the two males set up a fire ring. That was when Hermione began chanting and walking a full circle around the area to ward it.

When the witch was done, Emmett - who had been watching her - asked, "Are all of the spells in Latin?"

Hermione noticed the pit was complete but lacked any firewood, so she waved her wand and bluebell flames began dancing. "Not all spells, no. Many are, but it depends on who created them." She opened her palm and laid her wand down flat. She spoke clearly, "Point me." The wand spun in a full circle before the tip came to rest pointing towards true north. "It's a four-point spell which uses my wand as a compass needle." She indicated the direction the wand pointed and needlessly stated, "That is north."

"Handy," Emmett admired the simple magic. "I especially like these flames. They're… lively."

"Bluebell flames are also called cold flame meaning you can touch them from the bottom or sides or warm something if positioned above." Emmett squatted at the edge of the ring, reached out and withdrew his hand immediately hissing as if hurt. Hermione wasn't fooled and just laughed. She reached into the pit and scooped up the flames allowing them to dance on her open palm.

"I thought witches burned…" Emmett mused, rather tongue in cheek.

"Nope," Hermione tossed the flames at Emmett.

"Hey!" The burly vampire cried out in surprise and fell on his behind. Emmett stared wide eyed at the flames as they danced innocently on his jeans, "Shit…" He remained as still as a statue and simply stared at the bluebell flames. "Shit…"

"I think you broke him," Jasper grinned at his brother's horrid fascination of the fire burning on his crotch. "Somehow he's going to use this incident in a joke."

"Probably at my expense," Hermione ended the flames with a simple finite and narrowed her eyes at Emmett who was grinning mischievously. "If you try to get me in trouble with Rosalie, I'll show you the numerous spells I know to incapacitate and injure the undead."

Emmett outright laughed, but didn't deny that she was right in her assumption. Jasper shook his head at his brother. The soldier then asked her, "Do you really plan on going to that village again?"

"What village?" Emmett perked.

"Ehwaz, it's the local wizarding village." Hermione supplied as she peered at Emmett. The witch then answered Jasper, "I am going, but _you_ ," the witch pointed her finger at the bear of a vampire, "will not be joining me."

"Aw, come on, Hermione." The brunette vampire pleaded. "Please? I'll behave!"

Hermione's hard stare softened and she smiled reminiscently, "Growing up, my two best friends were boys. They both would give me the biggest puppy dog eyes. Ron would do his best to get out of studying and Harry would try to talk me into breaking some rules." The witch smirked at Emmett's hopeful look, "They never worked for them either."

"I'll drive," he offered.

"I'm apparating."

Emmett's pout melted away to his usual huge grin, "Can't blame a guy for trying."

"Care to join me, Jasper?"

"That's not fair!" Emmett blurted as he sprung to his feet.

The blonde raised an eyebrow and thought for a mere moment, "Yes."

"If Jasper gets to go, why can't-"

Hermione ignored Emmett's outburst and grabbed hold of Jasper's arm. Without warning the witch apparated them away halfway through the brunette's latest rant.

"Damn," Jasper shuddered and blinked. The witch watched the pale skinned vampire's coloring tinge a faint green before returning to its usual sparkling white. She giggled when he sighed, "You could warn a guy."

"I suppose so, but if I had, there was a slight chance Emmett would have gotten it in his head to tag along." Hermione shuddered, "Apparating one vampire was work enough. I might have splinched one or all of us if he came along."

"Splinched?"

"That's what it's called when a traveler leaves a part of his or her anatomy behind after apparation. Splinching can be as simple as leaving behind a bit of hair or as extreme as forgetting a limb." Hermione frowned with a pained look, "I once splinched my best friend, Ronald. It was a bad time… a lifetime ago." Her look cleared and she waved it off, "Anyhow, traveling with one or two extra travelers isn't too difficult, but their size and weight need to be smaller or similar to your own. A vampire is denser apparently. Dragging you along was like taking two or three people with me."

Jasper nodded his understanding and then finally took a look around him. The blonde was rather surprised at the reaction from the other village patrons, "They're not staring." He then canted his head as other things came to mind, "I feel… some of them, but… not all of them." He looked at the witch for clarification, "Occlumency?"

"Yes, I'd imagine so." Hermione agreed. She then hooked her hand in the crook of his elbow before dragging him along the street and responded to his first reaction. "These people are accustomed to magical beings, which is why they aren't staring at you. They're also used to people apparating; that is an everyday occurrence in our lives."

Hermione paused before a candy store and suddenly had an idea. "Come on."

Jasper looked at the store and shook his head in good humor. The two walked into the shop as he asked, "Sweet tooth?"

"I admit that I enjoyed a sugar quill or two during my school days." Hermione stepped through the aisles until she found what she was searching for. She collected numerous assortments of all types of sweets and smiled at the salesgirl when she paid for them. "Thanks."

"I'm guessing more than half of those are for the pack," Jasper said as he reached over to relieve her of the sacks. "I can't imagine you will be eating all of that."

Hermione just waved off his attempt and shrunk the bags. "The others are for your family."

"My…"

"Blood pops," Hermione grinned up at the vampire when his eyes widened. "I wish I had thought of those last trip."

The pair entered a novelty/second hand store and enquired about a wizarding tent. The salesman was an older gentleman with brown hair graying at the temples and a pudge of a belly. He wore faded jeans under his simple black robe and he grinned at them stating, "As a matter of fact…" He motioned for them to follow, "We have a couple. Most tents are handed down generation to generation, but then there are those that simply must have the latest models for some special event. The old one ends up in an attic… loaned out… you know what I mean…"

He shot them an enquiring look. Hermione smiled, "Yes. I went to a World Cup once; some of the tents were simple, while others were quite extravagant."

"Exactly," The salesman stopped down one of the aisles and took a good look at the two. Jasper hadn't spoken yet so the salesman brought his gaze back to Hermione, "Are you on vacation or…"

Hermione stiffened. She was still unaccustomed to giving too much information away and went for a partial truth. "Holiday, yes." Hermione prompted, "What do you have? You said you had two tents."

"They're both family sized, one for a family of six the other…" He started, but then changed his mind and pointed out the second tent, "Well, being newlyweds I'm sure you'd prefer the smaller-"

Hermione sputtered and Jasper laughed. The witch was frantically waving her hands in the negative, "No! No, it's not-"

Jasper stepped closer to the witch and put his arm around her. He grinned when she stiffened again and drawled, "Now, darlin'. The man here is no fool."

The witch stared wide eyed at Jasper. The entire time they had been there at the store, Jasper hadn't spoken, but now he spoke and with a thick southern drawl. Not just a drawl, but he wasn't helping! Hermione was stunned and stammered, "It's… but… you're…"

"He can see we're together so there's no reason to deny our love."

The vampire had gone a step too far. At his last sentence, Hermione huffed. "Oh, for pity's sake, stop taking the mickey." He didn't remove his arm, but began chuckling. Hermione hissed at him, "Jasper Whitlock Hale, you release me this instant before I hex you beyond recognition!"

Jasper's humor increased, but he wisely dropped his arm and attempted to straighten out the misunderstanding. The vampire told the salesman, "We're not really together. Hermione is here visiting family for the first time and she needs to see the beauty that is Washington. She's from England - and it's apparently really flat - so we decided a camping trip in the mountains was a good start."

Hermione crossed her arms and shot Jasper another exasperated look. "You're sharing too much."

Her statement proved true when the salesman blanched and sputtered at the mention of her name, "You're… Her… Granger… you're…"

The two looked at him and Hermione sighed softly, uncrossing her arms, "Yes. I am Hermione Granger."

"Holy mother of mercy…" The wizard covered his mouth as if to keep from speaking further and just stared at her silently. The emotions flitting across his face were moving quickly: surprise, awe, happiness, gratitude, respect and sadness.

"Can you show me the larger of the two tents… please…?"

The man straightened and grinned shyly. His face had turned a bright red, all the way up to his ears and he nodded quickly, "It'd be my honor, Ms. Granger. I'll set it up in the back. Just give me a moment to lock up the store."

As the salesman walked away to lock the front door, Jasper looked down at the small woman. "Going by the man's reaction, the information in the books Esme shared with us are real."

"Not everything," Hermione corrected. "The biographies elaborated on personal accounts, guessed or simply fabricated. Then there were other details pertaining to the battle that were wrong. No one knew what we did the year we were away, but they guessed and wrote books anyway. We were three innocent kids trying to stay alive, there was no sex happening. We were running, searching, researching, and starving during that time. Those two boys, Harry and Ronald, are like brothers to me. The thought of sex with either of them…" The woman shuddered, "just no."

The salesman was back among them and had grabbed both of the tents. He made his way through the aisles until they came to the back of the store. "I'll have this up in a snap."

He set the tent down and continued speaking, "I'm not sure what sort of tent you used during your trip to the Quidditch Cup. This one is pretty large inside. Fits a family of six," The wizard tapped the tent with his wand. The tent immediately set itself upright and the pegs plunged into the ground properly. "Then again, that's probably the same tent you used for that year on the run-"

"Mr.-"

"Foster," the salesman interrupted, "I'm Jeff Foster… but… uh, please call me Jeff."

"Okay then. Jeff, I'd rather not reminisce about that time."

"Oh," Jeff's eyes grew wide. "Right… Of course not, Ms.-"

"Hermione," the witch smiled patiently at the man, "Call me Hermione."

Smiling widely the wizard opened the flap to allow them entry, "After you, Hermione."

* * *

Hermione shifted her weight on her feet - from her right to her left - and resisted crossing her arms defensively over her torso. She was uncomfortable, edgy and… no, that wasn't it. She wasn't uncomfortable. Edgy, yes she was definitely edgy. Hermione was itching to leave the teen geared festivities and perhaps have a stiff drink… or two. The anticipation for the battle the next day was gnawing at her nerves. She should be somewhere - _anywhere_ \- else other than a children's party. Hermione felt as if she should be working… planning… reading… researching…

Instead of doing something productive, she was watching a group of teenagers celebrating their graduation, their transition from adolescence to adulthood. There was a smattering of adults milling around and, of course, the vampire coven. She had seen Charlie talking to Carlisle, Esme was fussing over the food; Jasper lurked in the shadows and Rosalie scowled at anyone that foolishly got too close as she danced with her husband, Emmett. Alice flitted around like a fairy and Edward was pinned to Bella's side.

It wasn't only the Forks graduates enjoying the shindig. There were a small handful of La Push teens as well. The pack mostly hovered together gaining the attention of the girls from Forks. Hermione watched it all, taking it in and found that she didn't think she missed anything by going to Hogwarts instead of a Muggle school.

"I could use a stiff drink."

"I'd join you, but I'm sure the local police would frown on alcohol being served at an under-aged function." Hermione giggled and looked up at the man.

"The things we suffer in the name of family," Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed dramatically before grinning, "We caught someone's attention."

The witch stiffened, "Oh?"

"That daughter of mine thinks I'm too old. I'm not that repulsive, am I?" Charlie suddenly ran his fingers through his hair. "I realize a woman prefers a self-confident man and when it comes to my job I'm about as confident as all get go, but Bella acted horrified when I talked to her about me possibly dating again."

Hermione laughed when she spotted Bella across the dance floor looking as if she swallowed something nasty and asked, "What did you say to her?"

"Just…" Charlie shook his head, "Okay maybe I shouldn't talk to my only daughter about my lack of a love life…"

"Your…" Hermione's laughter died and she frowned at him, "Charlie, you're still young and handsome. You deserve happiness. How could it possibly be wrong for you to have love in your life again?"

"Nothing, never mind…" The music slowed and Charlie motioned to the dance floor. "You… wouldn't… would you?"

Hermione glanced to her left and met the heat of Embry's stare. She felt her stomach squirm, "Sure. Why not?"

The two walked to the middle of the dance floor and Charlie took the witch in his arms. The pair swayed with the beat of the music and he came clean, "It wasn't anything specific I said really. I asked Bells what is wrong with me dating and she just went through this… ew and gross fit. Then she accused me of cradle robbing and said you're too young for me…"

Hermione laughed and shook her head, "She can be so ridiculous. As long as there are two consenting adults, age should not be a factor."

"No, I don't suppose…"

"So who is the lucky woman?"

Charlie got a goofy grin on his face, "Sue Clearwater…"

"Sue Clearwater? Sue Clearwater as in Elder of the Quileute tribe, mother to Seth and Leigh… _that_ Sue Clearwater?"

It was Charlie's turn to laugh, "I take it you've met her."

"Hmm," Hermione simply hummed.

"You don't approve…"

"I didn't say that." Hermione canted her head, "I had a brief introduction with her, but that's all. Besides, what does it matter what I think? It's what you think that matters."

"We've known each other a long time," Charlie gave a small shrug. "She's nice. I really like her."

"Then you should ask her out." The song came to an end. Hermione smiled up at him and allowed him to guide her off the dance floor. "Maybe you can take Sue out dancing."

"I think I'll start with a dinner first… seems less frightening," Charlie admitted causing the witch to giggle.

Hermione's smile faded when she was suddenly face to… well, chest with Seth. The young man looked rather stressed. Charlie frowned at the teen, "Are you okay?"

"Sure, yeah. Uh… mind if I talk with Hermione?"

"That's up to the lady," Charlie hedged.

"It's fine. Thanks for the dance, Charlie." Hermione stepped further from the dance floor and watched in fascination as Seth grew nervous. Seth steered her away from the others in order to talk, or rather in order to talk without having to yell. "What's wrong, Seth?"

"It's not me… it's-"

"Me," Her breath hitched in surprise as the voice came from behind her; the word was spoken in her ear. He stood close. Too close. He was so close that she could feel the heat of him against her back even though his body wasn't pressed to hers. Which was a good thing… she kept reminding herself. Hermione resisted cursing, even under her breath, but just barely. The witch's eyes slid closed when he moved closer and sniffed. A low growl escaped him when he stated, "You smell like him."

"Charlie is just a friend."

"Friends don't dance that close."

"Sure they do." Hermione countered, "When they're trying to annoy Bella for the fun of it. She thinks her father is too old to date."

Embry spoke through clenched teeth, "You want to date Charlie?"

"No," Hermione scoffed, "He's handsome and a nice guy, but I have no interest in dating him."

His large warm hand landed on her hip, but it was Seth who spoke again, "Hermione…"

"It's fine; I'm fine," Hermione claimed. It was a lie. She had been actively avoiding being alone with Embry since her trip to La Push. They weren't exactly alone _now_ , but she still felt so vulnerable and exposed. Embry was very good looking, sweet, kind, funny… but young… too young. If one was to judge by his looks alone, the teen could pass as an adult, but that didn't change the fact that he wasn't. While she was fond of most of the pack boys, Hermione was especially fond of Seth and Embry since those two helped her out with her cauldrons often and visited with her more than the others. Hermione had felt an odd pull towards the teen and dismissed it immediately. Embry just reminded her of Benedict. Or that's what she told herself. That was her excuse for the attraction that she had been actively trying to ignore. Realistically the two males were nothing alike and she knew that, or she would if she'd admit it to herself.

The hand on her hip squeezed gently. Without realizing she had done so, her body leaned back against him, seeking out his warmth. His voice sounded in her ear again, but this time she felt the rumble in his chest when he spoke. "Did you eat?"

"Not hungry," Hermione distanced her body from his and his hand slipped back to his side.

"Seth," Embry motioned with his hand towards their left where several tables were set up, "Keep an eye on Hermione."

"I'm not an invalid…" Her voice trailed off as Embry ignored her and made his way to the food table. The witch huffed, "Oh honestly."

Seth grinned down at Hermione, "You take care of us; we take care of you. It's what friends do for each other."

"You're right, they do." Hermione admitted. "It's just that I'm not accustomed to being the one being looked after."

"Maybe it's time you let someone take care of you," Seth suggested.

"Now's not the time," Hermione interjected. "We have too much going on with tomorrow-"

"That's tomorrow… let us take care of you tonight," Seth steered Hermione towards a small table. She smiled as a feeling of warmth spread through her at their efforts. Hermione didn't fight him and allowed Seth to pull a chair out for her. "Besides, you never know. You might just like it and hang around for a while longer."

Embry set a large plate filled with finger sandwiches and various other hors d'oeuvres down on the table before her. Hermione stared at the mountain of food, "How am I supposed to eat all this?"

Seth just grinned and plucked a small sandwich from the pile and began eating it. Embry had one as well. The two teens were eating more than their share. Hermione's eyes danced with mirth before she gave in… for now.

* * *

 **AN:** And this puts us over the halfway mark. Just five more chapters to go!

I'm not a fan of filler chapters. Reading them is okay, just not writing them. I feel kind of guilty doing them, yet I do them more often than I'd like to admit and some have been fun (The entire summer starting my Slytherin!Harry's 5th year comes to mind). My filler chapters feel like drivel, but the point of this one is to forward time. Besides, I still love Charlie and he was determined to get a dance with Hermione. How could I tell him no?

Next up is the battle… I feel I should apologize in advance. I'm not fond of writing battles because I'm not very good at them. Yet I somehow manage to get myself into these pickles often. Maybe it's my way subconscious way of trying to better my writing. Well if that's the case I'd have to say I'm failing, but such is life. I'll just keep on trying!

 **Noble Korhedron** : Dammit, you made me spew my coffee. You're hilarious as always. I should know better than to ever read a review from you while drinking! Naturally I didn't think of changing Frank into a deer, I unfortunately don't think of those things quickly enough to put it in a story until you show me that option. You have a wicked mind. It's so entertaining!

 **harryislife** : It's funny you should say that… for the record… Embry wasn't nearly as amused as I was while writing that.


	8. The Battle

**The Battle**

The two females stood in the open meadow. The grass grew wild and swayed in the breeze rising just below their knees. The sun was high in the sky valiantly attempting to warm the hazy summer day, but it was overshadowed by Fork's usual thick cloud cover. The air was crackling with anticipation and magic. Hermione and Bella were facing each other speaking softly in calm tones.

Hermione was comforted by the warm furry grey spotted wolf's muzzle lying on her foot. Every ear in the meadow, seen and unseen, perked when the witch said, "They've breached the first perimeter."

While the witch was speaking directly to the young girl before her, she was also alerting the warriors waiting in hiding scattered in the high grass. Bella began trembling, her adrenaline spiked at the news. She stopped shaking when a cold marble hand caressed her ankle. The teen did her best to appear relaxed and then gave the witch a small nod as if agreeing to something. "Your… ward… told you?"

"That's right," Hermione agreed. The witch shifted her weight from one foot to the other then canted her head as if a thought struck her. The entire scene had been roughly scripted to create a visual calmness of two females out and about without a care. They strove to make the newborn army believe they were unaware, unaccompanied, unprepared and untroubled by their arrival. Hermione gave Bella a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "They're moving fast. Second perimeter from the North has been breached."

The recent graduate smiled back and waved a hand dismissively, "That's barely a hundred yards."

"It was," Hermione agreed.

"Was?"

"They're here."

Bella blinked once. Twice. Visibly swallowed. "Oh."

A hiss was heard faintly from the edge of the forest. Hermione and Bella nonchalantly turned their attention to the sound and stared at the small army lining up at the edge of the meadow. "Oh indeed," Hermione intoned.

A female redheaded vampire stood ahead of the others. She stared at them with a sneer of undisguised malice. She spoke with a lilting voice that was cold and taunting, "Where's your protection, human?"

Without missing a beat, Bella put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and stepped closer to the witch effectively removing her ankle from Edward's grasp in preparation. Bella taunted back, "Where's James, Victoria?"

The woman took the bait, crouched and hissed at her subordinates, "Kill her!"

The army launched forward. Hermione's wrist flicked and her wand dropped into her waiting hand. The witch took a small step forward to distance herself from Embry and called out, "Impedimenta Maxima!"

When the spell hit the advancing vampires, several things happened at once: the newborn army slowed to human speed; with a pop the two females disappeared; the Cullen family and La Push pack were no longer hiding among the high grass and were on the move to intercept the incoming slowed army and Victoria screamed out in frustration because Bella was gone.

The redhead could be heard yelling, "Impossible! Where? Where is she?"

But Alice didn't take the time to answer. No one did. The small vampire used her speed and dexterity to her advantage following the gray spotted wolf to advance on their prey. Everyone was primed for battle, even the mild tempered Carlisle and sweet Esme. Today they were protectors, warriors, and anyone that threatened their home and family faced dire repercussions.

Each vampire had been paired with a shapeshifter in order to capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Alice ran, practically flew, towards an opponent. When he braced himself for impact, Alice lured him into a sense of false superiority. She widened her eyes. The pixie sized vampire then banked left of the blonde male newborn. Just as she had hoped, he narrowed in on what he'd considered easy prey and turned to attack.

Her shapeshifter partner, Embry - the gray spotted wolf - tackled the man to the ground, teeth biting and claws scraping at marble skin. The newborn swiped a clawed hand at him, teeth bared, fangs extended menacingly. The pair rolled and Alice was upon them an instant later.

The moment Embry was on the bottom, Alice grabbed at the man by the hair with one hand. Their tumble stopped, Alice pulled his head back hard -one hand in his hair, her forearm around his forehead - with all her strength and weight exposing the newborn's throat to the wolf. Embry tore at the exposed pale flesh and the blonde flailed in panic scoring his claws at the wolf's pelt and elbowing Alice to get her to release him.

The blonde hissed and gurgled. Taking advantage of the damaged newborn's throat, Alice twisted using her entire body to get the job done. The man's neck snapped easier than she had expected and soon Alice stood with his head in hands.

Alice's eyes were wild as she stared down at the headless twitching body. Embry gave out a bark to gain her attention and she visibly shook her head to clear her mind. She dropped the head to the side and pulled the twitching body off of Embry.

"Sorry," Alice started, but then gave a small grin when Embry butted his head against her side. "Vision. There's a newborn. She's crying at the edge of the trees. She's scared. She doesn't want to fight, but I saw her getting hurt."

Embry gave a huff and shook his big furry head. Alice huffed back at him, "She didn't ask to be killed. She didn't ask to be… just come on."

The slowing spell was wearing off. A good number of the newborns were down and in pieces, but not all of them. The odds were no longer in the newborn army's favor.

Alice ran towards the tree line dodging around fighting bodies. The clash of vampire bodies was as loud as boulders crashing together. The sound was near deafening and was soon joined with flashes of light that must have been spells from Hermione. A howl and a yelp made her wince, but she didn't slow her pace. She needed to get to the edge of the meadow. The treeline was just before them. Embry was at her side as they weaved out of the way of battling opponents, moving as one in harmony.

When they made it to the treeline, they didn't stop to chat with the cowering girl. One of the newborns was yelling at her - male, brunette, tall and strong - and was ready to pounce on one of his own out of what appeared to be angry frustration.

The slowing spell had worn off, so the duo took advantage of the fact that the man was distracted and applied different tactics with their new opponent. The target was purely focused on the recoiling girl. Alice and Embry leapt forward. The pixie tucked into a low, quick roll that clipped the man's legs out from under him as the canine leapt up with his maw opened. The wolf went for the throat and he wrenched his head with a jerk the moment the newborn's neck was positioned between his teeth.

The body twisted from the dual impacts and his neck snapped. The girl screamed, scrambling away until her back came into contact with a tree. She covered her head with her hands and rocked while muttering through her tears, "Please, please, please, please…"

The brunette hadn't give up fighting, the body twitched and lashed out. Alice and Embry tore limbs from the torso until it stilled. Embry gave a puppy grin of satisfaction until the girl's voice reached them. "Please, please, please, please…"

"Shhh, it's alright." Alice cooed at the girl.

Her head shot up and she stifled a shriek by covering her mouth with both hands. Her red eyes were wide as she stared into the fierce black eyes of the wolf snarling at her practically nose to nose. She whimpered, "Please don't hurt me."

Embry's response was a low menacing growl and he bared his teeth. The newborn shook her head when she declared in a small choked voice, "I didn't ask to be a monster."

Her tone was so petulant that it apparently startled Embry as the wolf cocked his head at the newborn. Alice crouched beside Embry and tugged him out of her face, "I'm Alice. What's your name?"

"Bree?"

The look on Bree's face was so frightened it knotted Alice's emotions and she gave the girl a nod. "Okay, Bree. We're taking you to Hermione for safety." Alice ignored Embry's bark and kept talking to Bree, "We'll decide what to do with you after the fighting is done."

"I didn't…" Bree's words broke off when the wolf sat on the ground with a disgruntled huff. She tried again, choosing to talk to the wolf instead. "I don't want to hurt anyone and I don't want to fight." She shook her head vehemently, "I really don't like hurting people."

Alice nodded and motioned for the girl to follow quickly. "See the brunette over there? The human," she clarified when Bree wrinkled her nose at her. Bree looked again and then nodded slowly. Alice continued, "We have to dash through the fighting to get to her. Your job will be to protect her."

Bree's head snapped back to Alice with a look of hope, "Okay."

Embry took off at a run towards Hermione. Alice and Bree followed in his wake. He didn't deviate from his course and only once did he have to leap over someone in his path. Hermione was busy casting spells and waving her wand over one of the shapeshifters that was back in his human form. As the girls drew closer, Alice realized it was Paul, but her gaze was drawn away from her cousin as Embry leapt over the witch at an approaching newborn.

Hermione remained focused on her patient while Embry began fighting with the newborn. Alice pointed at the ground near Paul, "Sit and don't move," but the pixie vampire didn't break her stride and kept moving towards Embry.

* * *

Hermione wasn't sure what was going on, but when Alice told the girl to sit next to Paul, she initially ignored her. That was until the girl whimpered at the smell of Paul's blood. Hermione had done what she could to siphon away the blood, but the coppery scent was still noticeable even to her. The witch looked at the girl and noticed the red eyes growing darker. The girl looked from Paul to Hermione with a panicked gaze, "I can't…"

The girl's fangs extended and the witch reacted, "Imperium immortui! "

Once the girl was under control, her fangs slid back in place and calm once more appeared on her features. Hermione commanded, "Tell me your name."

"Bree Tanner."

Hermione was reassured that the girl was in her control and went back to tending to Paul. The gash in his side was healed nicely with only a slight pink line to show where he was injured. The witch wasn't going to risk releasing the newborn beside her sleeping injured patient. "You will sit there calmly until the fighting is over and only move if I tell you to do so. Understand?"

"Yes."

The girl's voice was monotone and her red eyes were glassy, but that was to be expected. Bree was completely under Hermione's control and if the girl didn't like it… well, when the fighting was over, they would address the issue then.

Hermione woke Paul from his magically induced slumber and he groaned. The shapeshifter tried to move, but Hermione quickly pushed down on his shoulder to warn him, "Don't move too hastily. You're not fully healed, but I can't have you alone and vulnerable out here so I woke you early."

Paul's voice was hoarse, "M'kay…"

"A few things you need to know. You heal so rapidly, that your forearm was mending crooked. That means I had to remove the bone from your arm. Breaking it again was an option, but it takes too long and requires too much of my focus. I'm needed elsewhere." His head whipped around to his bound arm with wide frightened eyes. Hermione's hand on his shoulder squeezed gently and spoke calmly, "I gave you skele gro. Your body is growing a new one already. It may itch or feel like pins and needles, but I don't want you moving it so I've immobilized your arm in a temporary splint.

"You had three cracked ribs and a nasty gash. The gash and cracks are mended, but you will be tender. I need you to drink this. It tastes nasty, but it will help… I promise." Hermione eased his head up and poured a health potion into his mouth. She smiled when he sighed contently after he groaned and sputtered. Hermione laid his head back down before motioning towards Bree and said, "Watch her for me. She shouldn't be moving, but if she breaks free from my spell I don't want you caught unaware."

Hermione was about to dash off when a howl went up. The howl wasn't from just one wolf. It was the entire pack. Hermione looked at Paul and asked, "What's wrong?"

Paul looked around at his pack, "Dunno. I'm not phased."

"Hermione!"

The witch whipped around towards the voice, landed on her bottom and forgot to breathe. Embry was running over to her, apparently unconcerned that he didn't have a stitch of clothing on. Her eyes moved over him. She would have liked to say it was to ensure that he wasn't injured, but the hunger in her gaze told a different tale. Embry continued speaking, "It's Seth!" That broke the daze she was in. She sprung up to her feet, wand in hand. The shapeshifter came to a stop and grabbed hold of her arm, but he wasn't done speaking. "Edward ran off to go to them. That redhead vamp is up there!"

She struggled to keep her eyes on his and ignore the warmth coming from his body. His naked, muscled, naked, tanned, NAKED body. She was a professional healer. She saw naked bodies all the time. She just saw Paul's for pity's sake. Hermione was mentally kicking her girly-girl side that was begging to touch, lick and smell that hard body before her. It wouldn't take much effort, he was right there. She could just lean in and… but Seth and Bella needed help. Hermione gave a sharp nod, "Hold on to me."

Hermione grabbed hold of her small bag and focused on getting to the tent. She had to mentally block out the feelings stirring inside her when he did what he was told. Embry wrapped an arm around her waist and held her. Close.

He smelled like the woods after a spring shower. He smelled of pure male, dirt, sweat and something musky, but it was all tainted with the coppery smell of blood.

Embry immediately let go when they were at the tent sight. He staggered before phasing into his wolf form. Hermione didn't wait to see if he was okay. There wasn't time. Victoria was howling mad and clawing at the wards. The entire time she yelled, "I smelled her. I know she has to be here!"

Hermione could feel the wards now that she was closer. They held, but just barely. She'll leave berating herself for not putting up monitoring wards later. "Sectumsempra!"

Victoria let out a cry of pain. The gash across her back wasn't deep. Her marble skin saved her from the severity of the spell. She spun around to attack and was met with Embry. Seth came through the wards and joined his pack brother. Hermione didn't hear the footfalls behind her, but Edward was soon sailing past her to join the fight.

The witch immediately stepped through the wards and began strengthening them. Hermione then went to the tent and dropped it with a tap of her wand. The fighting was nearly done down in the meadow. There was no point of leaving things to be cleaned up later and by busying herself, she wouldn't fret over the fight happening just feet away. The tent folded on itself, pegs lifted from the ground and the entire thing became a small package. Hermione dropped the package into the small bag she had been carrying around with her. Then she finally looked at the girl. Bella was barely restraining herself. Arms wrapped around her torso and she rocked back and forth murmuring Edward's name in a chant or prayer.

Hermione ignored the fight just beyond the wards to focus on Bella. She crouched next to the girl. "Bella, are you injured?"

The teen blinked and dragged her gaze away from her boyfriend. "What?"

Her voice hitched, but the diagnostic spell showed that the girl was in good health, but in shock. Hermione gave a soft sigh, "You'll be fine. Just don't go past the wards. How did she find you? I blocked all scent from escaping the wards, how..."

"Wards." The girl was talking as if in a dream. Short stilted sentences. "They kept her out. But she smelled me. Out there." Bella pointed to the apparition point. "We were inside the tent. Seth heard her come. We came out to see her out there. She was sniffing. Sniffing for me. Then she bumped into the wards."

"Bella!"

The two females looked over and noted that Victoria was dead. Bella whimpered, "Edward."

It hadn't taken long for the three to dispatch her. Hermione stood and dropped the wards. Edward moved swiftly and was at Bella's side immediately. He held her and she clung to him. Hermione went to the body and looked around the ground. She spoke to the two wolves. "Make sure I have all the pieces."

Seth cocked his head in question, but Embry went about looking for the missing limbs. Seth followed suit and soon Victoria was in a small pile. "Incendio!"

Embry moved to Hermione's side and sat on his haunches. Seth followed suit once again mimicking Embry's movements and sat on Hermione's other side to bookend her. As Victoria's body burned, both wolves looked down the hill towards the meadow in unison as if they heard something. Edward spoke from behind them. "We have to go back."

Hermione didn't question them, she only nodded. She was aware that the pack was linked while in wolf form. They apparently knew or heard something and Edward most likely read it from their minds. She doused the flames and grabbed the fur on both wolves at the scruff of their necks, "Sorry, boys."

Before either wolf could think to question her proclamation, they had been popped back to the outskirts of the meadow. Seth shook his head. Embry let out a nearly inaudible wuff.

The fight with the newborn army had ended. A fire burned in the center of the meadow, but there was no celebrating. Instead the Cullen family stood beside the pack and faced a new group. There were four of them - three males and a female: the two in the middle were short, the female was about the same height as Alice, and the tallest male was bigger than Emmet - all wearing hooded cloaks.

The moment the three popped to the meadow, the four newcomers turned their attention towards them. Embry and Seth growled low in their throats. Hermione tugged gently at their ear, but she needn't have bothered prompting them. The moment she moved towards the Cullen family, they loped at her side. The witch was on edge and gripped her wand tighter, but her movements were smooth and calculated.

The newcomers watched their progression in unison, much like a predator follows the path of its prey, they watched the human with her personal wolf bodyguards.

Hermione stood beside her cousin, making her show of loyalty obvious to even the most obtuse minded. Alice turned her attention to the witch and smiled apologetically, "We have company. This is Jane, Alec, Demetri and Felix. They're with the Volturi guard."

"Volturi guard, here. Conveniently showing after the fighting is over." Hermione's voice was whisper soft, but they all heard her as if she had spoken loud and clear, "I see."

Before the battle, Jasper had spoken to Hermione at length about the Volturi. How often does one get the chance to question a vampire about their government and its key members? Hermione thought of those talks and remembered what she was told about each of them. Jane alone had been a topic of conversation that gave Hermione pause. Jane could mentally cause pain the likes of the cruciatus curse. Her twin Alec had a nasty power of his own: sensory deprivation. Felix was extremely strong and Demetri was their tracker.

Jane peered at Hermione. The shortest guard sneered when she spoke. Her words broke through Hermione's drifting thoughts and brought her back to the present. Jane asked, "What are you?"

Hermione's fingers wound their way into Embry's fur at his neck and he stopped growling. The motion was to calm him and herself. There was no point in denying what she was, so she didn't. "I'm a witch."

"You did that?" Jane pointed at Bree.

"Create her? Obviously not." Hermione looked over at the newborn girl noting she still hadn't moved from where she was told to stay before returning her attention to the Volturi. Hermione continued, "Convince her not to fight, not really. I believe that was her choice initially. Keep her from feeding on one of the pack as I healed him, yes."

Edward came through the treeline carrying Bella on his back. They moved with swiftness and were soon standing with the Cullen family. Bella slid down to stand beside the others with her boyfriend's arm firmly around her.

The biggest male behind Jane tensed and snarled silently. It was rather intimidating to witness and Hermione's grip on Embry tightened. The wolf leaned his large body against hers for comfort and she took a calming breath.

It was the shortest male, Hermione believed that one was Alec, that spoke next, he demanded, "Release her from your spell, witch. We need to question her."

Hermione looked over at Paul who still hadn't phased back into wolf form, but stood alongside the coven in his tattered shorts and arm in a splint. "No, I don't believe I will. She's still a danger to my patient."

Jane smiled slowly. It wasn't a pleasant sight. The small vampire's features were nearly angelic, but the smile was sadistic and cruel, "That wasn't a request."

Hermione didn't back down and once again refused. "I am not a vampire; I don't fall under your laws. I'm a witch and a healer. You have no power over me."

The smile was soon gone and Jane growled. "How?"

Edward huffed in surprise, "You're immune to her power, Hermione."

The witch almost sagged in relief to hear that. She had been under the cruciatus curse before and had no wish to experience Jane's form of torture.

Alec stole a quick glance at his sister before he motioned for Felix to go to Bree. "We don't need to hear from her. Kill her and be done with it so we can leave."

"Why?"

"She broke the law. She must pay the price."

Hermione frowned and released Bree from her spell. She refused to keep the girl under her control while they killed her. The witch didn't agree with their reasoning, but she wasn't a vampire and it wasn't her place to get involved in their politics. She had thought British wizarding laws were last century, but at least Bree would have gotten a trial in her world. Bree gasped at being free and glared at the witch.

Edward's head snapped to the newborn as if he saw something, but he remained silent. Bree stared back at him. He spoke suddenly, "They knew."

The look from Bree didn't last long because Felix was at her side in the blink of an eye. Hermione turned away. She had seen enough death for two life times, but there was no escaping the sounds. The clashing of marble bodies, the tearing of limbs and the screams of pain.

The young girl's body and parts were soon tossed into the flames and Felix, grinning, rejoined the guard. Hermione shuddered. It took him less than five minutes to dispatch the girl. Only they didn't leave immediately afterwards. Jane's gaze moved to Bella. Edward slid the human behind him to protect her. The move wasn't lost on anyone and the smile was back on Jane's lips, "Aro will be disappointed to hear she's still human. You're running out of time."

With that parting warning, the Volturi guard was gone.

The folks in the meadow stood silent for a moment as if the world was holding its breath.

The large russet colored wolf tried to stand, but only managed to teeter and fall down into the grass.

And Bella screamed.

* * *

 **Created spell(s):  
** Imperium immortui - curse, control an undead

 **AN:** Thank the stars that chapter is over. Mind you, I did warn folks that I'm not big on the battle chapters so I minimized my fights and cheated around them. I know, shame on me. Blah.

 **Suzululu4moe:** Welcome to the story. Your reviews had me giggling and dammit, I wish I had thought of the every flavored beans and the chocolate frogs! That could have been fun.


	9. The Healing

**The Healing**

Hermione ran another diagnostic spell and - with a small sigh of satisfaction - gave Carlisle a nod. The doctor gave her shoulder a soft squeeze before he left the room to search out the boy's father to tell Billy the good news. The witch in the meantime prepared a glass of water and the next dose of healing potion.

When Billy came in, followed by Carlisle, Hermione gave him a smile of encouragement. "He'll awaken soon."

Billy inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly with obvious relief, "Thank you. I know you're not overly happy with the Elders, but you still saved my son and his friends."

The battle was fought and ended four days ago. Jacob had been in a lot of pain. There was no question of her helping. She did her job and she did it well. Unfortunately, Jacob needed care that an invalid couldn't provide. Therefore, the healer didn't leave La Push during his recovery time. Every evening after his work at the hospital ended, Carlisle went to the Black home - with permission extended only to him - to give Hermione a break, bring dinner - courtesy of Esme - and bring them any other supplies they needed.

Hermione sighed softly. The Elders had taken advantage of her time in La Push and made a number of attempts to sway her decision not to stay. Until that moment, Billy refrained from mentioning the Elders or their first encounter. She was tired.

The coven had fared well. Their scrapes and bruising healed over night, with the exception of any bites from the newborns. Thankfully there were only two bites suffered and Rosalie was mortified at the blemishes on her husband's perfect porcelain skin. Emmett, on the other hand, wore them like a badge of honor.

All of the pack members were hurt to some extent: each were bruised and sore, scratched and clawed, but thankfully less than half had broken or cracked bones. Two had been more seriously injured: Paul - with his gash, cracked ribs, and broken arm - and Jacob - who had a concussion, internal injuries and a collapsed lung.

"Jacob is a good boy, they all are. They fought well and they fought bravely. I may not like everything the Elders do, say or believe in, but I would never neglect someone in need of healing. It isn't in my nature."

Billy gave a tired smile and a nod of understanding, "It's what makes you a good healer."

"Thank you," Hermione turned her attention back to Jacob who stirred with a grunt. The witch kept her voice low and even, "Not too quickly, Jacob. You're going to be a bit tender, but you've healed well."

Jacob blinked and squinted before he turned his head to see who spoke to him. Recognition lit in his eyes and he gave her a sleepy, lopsided grin. His voice was rough when he tried to speak, "Hey, Her… Hermin… Hermine…"

"Close enough." The witch shook her head and laughed softly. Hermione helped Jacob sit forward by magically enlarging the pillows. She brought a cup to his lips so he could take a sip of water to soothe his parched throat. She then had him drink another healing potion. Once he was done coughing at the disgusting taste, he sipped more water. Hermione asked, "Can you to tell me your name?"

"You just said it."

"Yes, I did." Hermione set the glass aside while continuing, "Your full name, please." She ran another diagnostic scan and was pleased with the results.

"Jacob…" The shapeshifter peered at her and continued, "Black," as if daring her to contradict him.

"Are you sure?" Hermione cocked an eyebrow at the hesitation from the shapeshifter.

"Yes," Jacob growled.

Hermione simply hummed in amusement. "Hmm, fine. You don't have to tell me your middle name."

Billy's low chuckle caught Jacob's attention. He turned his head to look at the man and gave his father a huge grin. "Hey, Dad."

"Hello, son." Billy reached out his hand and Jacob breached the distance with his own. He held his son's hand for a brief moment before giving it a squeeze and releasing it. The relief at seeing his son healthy again was evident and he turned to the two healers: the witch and a cold one. "I owe you both my apologies."

"No-"

"Yes, I do." Billy interrupted Carlisle. "Hermione is right. We boycotted the hospital because you started working there. It was petty. Even if we felt justified at the time. You proved yourself a good man by keeping to our treaty all these years. You helped our boys after the battle and not once held a grudge against the Elders."

Carlisle fidgeted at the apology. He _actually_ fidgeted which earned him a startled laugh from Hermione. The vampire sire looked at the witch in surprise and she waved him off, "You've been around humans too long."

The man stilled when she said that and looked lost in thought for a moment, "I suppose. We've picked up many characteristics from humans in order to blend in: shifting our weight, shrugging, breathing, sitting, fidgeting. We must move to express ourselves in order to make up for the lack of proper emotional reactions that we cannot mimic such as crying or blushing.

"But you don't owe me a thing, Mr. Black. I did what any good physician would. I healed those who needed healing. Besides, I'm humbled by the aid given to my family by the pack. Helping in their healing was the least I could do."

Jacob interrupted what looked to be an uncomfortable discussion and asked, "How are the other guys?"

"They're all fine. All bruises, cuts and scrapes are healed as well as any sprained joints, strained muscles, cracked ribs and broken bones." Hermione informed him, "You were the worse off. You had four fractured ribs, pneumothorax of your left lung and hemothorax-" She stopped abruptly at the blank alarmed look on Jacob's face, "In layman's terms there was internal bleeding and a collapsed lung. Your torso took the brunt of your injuries. You're fine now. All injuries are mended. That doesn't mean you won't be tender and shouldn't move too quickly."

A loud knock came from the front door. The occupants in the room stilled. Billy frowned in thought.

"Were you not expecting anyone?" Carlisle asked.

"No." Billy gave a shrug, "But the boys are all out of school…"

"Would you like me to get the door?" Hermione offered.

Billy shook his head, "Thank you, no."

Carlisle stepped out of his way and stayed in the room as Billy wheeled himself to answer the door. In the meantime, Hermione spoke with Jacob about what he was expected to do to further his recovery. "I realize you're going to want to get up and move around sooner rather than later, but I need you to relax as much as possible for a day, preferably two. Esme has sent over enough food to last a month for a normal person, but for you it will probably last a week. Be sure to save something for Billy."

Jacob laughed and then cringed as the muscles in his stomach seized. Hissing he held his torso. "I see what you mean. But you gotta know, I have to get up. Now."

"I just -"

"Hermione," Carlisle placed a hand on her shoulder. "Allow me."

She motioned him forward in a 'be my guest' gesture and moved to the end of the bed. The doctor helped Jacob to sit up and the teen swung his legs off the bed. Carlisle reminded the shape shifter, "Not too quickly. You will feel a bit dizzy if you over do it too soon. If it becomes too much for you, just say so and I will be right in."

"Thanks." Jacob didn't have a problem blushing like a cold one did and he refused to look Hermione's way as he shuffled to his bedroom door.

Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head. "Oh. The loo. That makes perfect sense."

"Hey Jake," a familiar voice called from the hallway.

Jacob grunted, but didn't delay his progress forward, "Hermione is in my room."

Embry paused at bedroom door frame still watching Jacob's progress. "You move like an old man."

"Shut up," Jacob grumbled.

"It's just good seeing you up and moving." Embry grinned.

"Good to be moving," Jacob's response was followed by the bathroom door closing.

Once the door clicked shut, Embry looked into the bedroom at the two healers, "Hey."

"Good evening," Carlisle greeted.

Hermione gave him a smile and then straightened as a thought came to her. "Do you know where the clean linens are kept?"

"The what?" Embry asked. Only the witch hadn't waited for an answer and began stripping the bed. "Oh, you mean sheets."

Carlisle took the soiled bedding out of the room. Hermione opened the windows before she threw a number of cleaning charms around the room while she awaited Embry's return with the sheets. She heard his footsteps before she saw him and gave him a questioning look. Embry grinned sheepishly, "My mom complains that I keep sneaking up on her and scaring her half to death. I sort of learned to stomp a bit when I'm around anyone non-pack."

"Rather considerate of you," Hermione chuckled and then with a swish of her wand, she had the clean sheets from his arms onto the bed.

"I could have done that." Embry stated.

"I'm too tired to argue," Hermione sat in the only chair in the room and motioned Embry inside.

The boy gave her a lopsided grin and got busy throwing the blanket and pillows onto the bed. Carlisle entered the room and watched her quietly before he asked the teen, "How are you feeling, Embry? Any lingering soreness?"

"Nah," Embry sat on the bed and faced them. "You patched me up just fine, Dr. Cullen."

"Excellent. Hermione, it's time for me to go. Will you be staying another night?"

"I'm not sure yet. I can just pop over if not. You don't have to worry about me." Hermione smiled tiredly at the adopted father of her cousin.

"Or I can drive her home," Embry offered.

"Okay," Carlisle gave a nod to the pair, "I'll see myself out then."

"Good night, Carlisle." Hermione sighed tiredly and rubbed at her eyes.

"You probably should have left with him," Embry stated before adding, "but I'm glad you didn't."

"Embry," Hermione started and the boy was off the bed and kneeling beside her in a flash.

The shapeshifter held her hand in one of his while the other brushed her hair back from her eyes, "I wish you'd let me take care of you."

"I'm the healer."

"And I'm your friend. Friends help each other out."

"So I've been told. Truth is," Hermione admitted. "I wouldn't mind some tea."

"I can do that."

"And keep an ear out for Jacob?"

Embry chuckled. "You got it."

* * *

The boys had returned from hunting. Jasper had taken the time to bathe and put on fresh clothing before looking for his woman. He found her curled up on the couch, with her arms wrapped around her legs looking… vulnerable. "What's wrong?"

Alice looked up at her mate and shook her head in frustration. "I can't See."

"Maybe she hasn't decided yet." The prospect of Hermione leaving had been weighing heavily on Alice. She had grown rather fond of her cousin. They all had… Rosalie even stopped snarling at her. Jasper took a seat beside Alice and she curled into this side when he wrapped an arm around her to offer comfort. "Or it's because one of the wolves is mucking things up for you."

Edward spoke from the doorway, "It's Embry."

The couple looked up at him. Alice frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Embry Call. He imprinted on Hermione."

* * *

By the time Embry made it back to the bedroom with the cup of tea both Jacob and Hermione were sound asleep. Jacob was sprawled out on his bed and Hermione was curled up in the chair.

Embry set the tea down on the side table, grabbed an extra blanket and draped it over the witch. He then softly brushed her hair from her face before gently kissing her forehead. His voice was rough and full of need, "Stay with me."

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry for the shortness of the chapter. It's what they wanted. Apparently everything they needed me to say is there. *waving a hand at the above text*


	10. The Truth

**Please note: The story's rating was changed to M**

* * *

 **The Truth**

It's said that once you've lived with someone you understand them better. And if it isn't an expression, it probably should be. Hermione had learned more about the Black family than she probably should have during her five day stay at their home and felt closer to them than she'd expected to be.

Billy was a somber, composed man that was stricken with diabetes which eventually took away the use of his legs. He was a widower with three children: twin girls and a boy. Jacob was the youngest and still lived at home. He had one more year of high school left. The twins were named Rachel and Rebecca. Rachel was the eldest twin and had recently graduated from Washington State. Rebecca was the middle child by fifteen minutes, married and lived in Hawaii.

Hermione hadn't met the girls - seeing how they had left home as soon as they were able - but the men of the family were full of life and love and it warmed her heart. While Hermione understood loss, she didn't understand how the two girls could be so selfish as to abandon their father. On the other hand, she tried desperately not to be judgmental. The girls had their reasons and felt justified in their actions. Billy spoke well of his children as a proud father would. Jacob had been asleep during most of her stay, but she felt she learned a lot about him from his father.

The witch was due to leave that morning. Rachel was coming home and would want her room. Hermione went through the bedroom ensuring she had all of her belongings as well as giving it a thorough cleaning.

Billy was nervously straightening up in the living room for the third time since he awoke that morning. Jacob was still fast asleep and apparently uncaring of his sister's impending arrival. The healer checked up on her patient and was pleased to note he was in perfect health.

Hermione stopped in the doorway and didn't try to hide her amusement. "Billy, if you keep beating that pillow the fluff will be all over the living room."

The man stilled and stared at the pillow in his hands for a moment. He looked up at her with such imploring eyes that Hermione went to him immediately, took the pillow from his hands and laid it back on the couch. She then took his hand in hers and calmed him the best she could with a platitude, "Things will be fine."

"She doesn't know…" Billy's eyes flitted towards the direction of Jacob's bedroom and back to the witch. He didn't have to say who 'she' was or what it was that she didn't know. Hermione understood. Billy wasn't a 'touchy feely' kind of guy, but he didn't try to take his hand back instead his grip tightened. "I can't tell her. It's against the tribe laws. Only the Elders, the pack and their imprintee are allowed to know. How can I keep this from her with her living under my roof?"

"I'm sorry. That's a difficult burden for you two to bear. I can only imagine how hard this will be for you both. In the wizarding world, we are allowed to tell our immediately family: parents, siblings, spouses, and children." Hermione gave his hand a gently squeeze, "But I wasn't allowed to tell my grandparents and I had visited with them occasionally during school holidays. They'd ask questions about classes or friends and I had to adjust everything I told them."

"At least your parents knew." Billy started saying, but stopped when she flinched, "Hermione?"

"They knew I was a witch," Hermione looked at their hands. Hers was so small and pale in his. She sighed, "But I never told them about the civil war. They would have pulled me from school."

"Did you tell them once it was over?"

A single tear escaped and fled down her cheek. She swiped it away and shook her head. "No. They died before I could. They knew I was pulling away from them, that I was hiding something. They asked me a number of times to talk to them. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Billy, I know it's against tribe laws, but secrets can eat at a person. They drive an uncomfortable wedge between people and I wouldn't want that for you and your children. You're a good man. I can't tell you to go against the tribe, but she deserves to know what's going on with her family." She sniffed, "That's just my opinion."

A tissue suddenly appeared at her shoulder and she looked up to see Jacob standing there. Hermione took it gratefully and released Billy's hand to blot her face. "Thanks."

Jacob sat on the coffee table, strategically placing himself within the small circle created by the other two in the room. "Dad, I think Hermione's right. We don't have to tell Rachel right away, but we should tell her. What do I say when I have to go on patrol? I can only use the excuse of being a punk teenager going off to do my own thing so many times before she throws a fit."

Hermione giggled. She didn't mean to, but the idea that Jacob or any of the pack boys could be accused of being selfish, bratty teens just struck her as funny. She waved a hand as if to dismiss her antics, "Sorry, sorry. It's just you boys aren't… you're all so… I can't imagine…" Okay maybe Paul was bratty and definitely Sam… Hermione broke down into peals of laughter as the two males watched her in open amusement. Once she caught her breath she gasped out, "I'm sorry. Apparently everything is simply hilarious to me right now."

Billy gave her a crooked grin, "Apparently."

"Right," Hermione smiled more calmly, "Anyone for some tea?"

"Coffee?"

She wrinkled her nose, but acquiesced all the same, "Fine, but it smells better than it tastes. And you, young man, need to eat."

Jacob snorted, "Yes, ma'am."

Hermione went to the kitchen to make tea and coffee. Jacob followed her a few minutes later and opened the refrigerator. He stood staring inside the appliance as if the contents would magically tell him what he wanted to eat. Once the water was put to boil, she watched the boy as he watched the food. "Just a friendly warning, if the food starts speaking to you it's past time to throw it out."

"Funny." Jacob brought out a pound of bacon, a dozen eggs and a stick of butter that he placed on the counter.

Billy chuckled when he heard Hermione's comment. He had just come into the kitchen and settled himself at his usual place at the kitchen table. Hermione flicked her wand and two mugs went to the man at the table. He plucked them one by one from the air and set them on the table. Her use of magic around the Black home became commonplace during her stay. While Billy had grown accustomed to it, Jacob was still startled to see it displayed so openly. Since he woke up, Jacob noticed the subtle changes around the house (wider door frames, enlarged rooms, a standing shower instead of only a bathtub, and a longer bed for him). He hadn't asked how long it would last choosing to enjoy it while it was around.

Hermione set up the coffee press and dropped tea leaves in her mug. Jacob whipped up the eggs while the bacon cooked. Billy read the newspaper as he waited. Hermione put some bread in the toaster and pulled out an assortment of jams that she laid on the table.

When the toast was done, Hermione put a few more slices of bread in and began buttering the toast. Jacob set the crisp bacon on a paper towel and began cooking the eggs. Billy began reading random bits of articles out loud to the pair. Hermione grabbed three plates and set out bacon on each before setting them out on the table. She then flicked her wand at the drawer; it slid open to allow forks and knives to land at each table setting. By the time the utensils settled, she was buttering more toast.

The kettle boiled as the two worked together on brunch. Billy began reading another article aloud. Hermione poured water into the press and over the tea leaves before she set her wand for four minutes. Jacob put the scrambled eggs in a bowl and set it on the table before grabbing a piece of bacon from his plate and eating it. The witch poured orange juice in a tall glass for Jacob. The shapeshifter made sure the toast was on the table with the rest of the food and sat down.

After her alarm went off Hermione pressed the coffee before she poured for Billy. He gave her a quick grin, "Thank you."

Before Billy folded the newspaper over to continue reading, he pulled the sports section for Jacob and the crossword puzzle for Hermione. After fifteen minutes, Jacob's head snapped up and he squinted towards the doorway, but he didn't comment before going back to reading. The three were content with their comfortable silence while enjoying each other's company along with their tasty meal.

That was until a voice broke through the silence, "Well, isn't this cozy?"

Of the three at the table, only two looked up: one was stunned silent, one was inquisitively so. Hermione would have greeted the newcomer, but the young woman looked angry… petulantly so. She looked very much like Billy - thankfully more feminine, but the frown was very reminiscent of Jacob - as she stood at the doorway with her arms crossed. "Who is she?"

Hermione's eyebrow rose at her blunt rudeness, but refused to rise to the bait. Billy's joy at seeing her turned to annoyance. "Rachel, that isn't how we treat guests in my house."

"Guest? She looks pretty cozy as a guest. Are those _her_ things in _my_ room?"

"No," Hermione spoke up before Billy had to defend her again. "I have no personal items in your room."

"Then who does all that stuff in there belong to?"

"Your father wanted to make you feel welcome by having your room decorated before your arrival. If you're not pleased with my efforts, I can easily get rid of things." Hermione still hadn't given Rachel her name.

Rachel deflated and leaned against the doorframe. She looked at her father, but when she spoke she sounded rather vulnerable. "You did?"

Billy hadn't asked Hermione to do any such thing, but when she was busy with the rest of the house, she made the room she was in a bit more livable as well. The man sighed heavily - not admitting or denying a thing - and motioned the girl forward. Rachel gave a half sob and plowed into her father's open arms.

He quietly murmured to his daughter and rubbed her back. Hermione gave a sad smile as she thought of her own father. Jacob, on the other hand, ignored the whole encounter. His head remained in the sports section and he grumbled something about the Knicks' GM taking over as coach, which was utterly lost on Hermione.

"What is a nick GM?"

"The Knicks is a basketball team. A GM is the general manager of the team."

"Right, sports… I have no interest in anything sport related. Forget I asked," Hermione waved him off to finish her tea before it got too cold.

"Sports are fun. Don't you do anything, but work?"

"Read, vacation, shop-"

"You're such a girl."

"Thank you." Hermione laughed softly when he rolled his eyes. His big goofy grin reminded her so much of Harry and she had her first bout of homesickness.

Rachel reached over and stole a piece of bacon from her father's plate. She looked at Hermione and noted, "You never did tell me your name."

"No," Hermione agreed, "I don't suppose I did."

The bacon was inches from her mouth before she stopped and narrowed her eyes at the witch. "Is there a reason I'm not supposed to know it?"

"Perhaps not," Hermione set her cup down and folded her hands on the table, "Yet I don't feel inclined to tell you when you've been rather rude to me."

"You're a stranger in my home-"

"I'm a friend of your father in his home." Hermione corrected.

"How did you become friends with my father?"

"It was simple. I was introduced to Billy by a mutual acquaintance. We then had a lengthy conversation. While I can't say when it happened exactly, at some time over the past month our relationship went from acquaintances to friends."

At that, Billy grinned at the witch. "I'm glad to hear that."

Hermione hadn't touched her food other than her toast and nudged her plate to Jacob who gladly took it and began eating, still reading the sports page. The witch smiled back at the man, "As am I."

"Yet you won't change your mind about staying."

"Afraid not," Hermione agreed. "I have a job waiting for me to return to. I have two more years in residency and it would be such a hassle to extend my visa."

"You're not even American?" Rachel asked.

"The accent didn't give it away?" Hermione's eyes narrowed on the girl. "I thought Billy said you graduated from university."

"Washington State," Rachel challenged.

Hermione sipped her tea, "Cambridge."

"How the he-"

"Rachel."

" _Heck_ , did a British interior decorator, graduate from Cambridge meet my father? And you _still_ haven't told me your name!"

"Hmm," she set the mug down and pushed back from the table.

"Where are you going?" Rachel challenged.

Billy sighed and Hermione relented on his behalf. "I'm going back to Forks where I'm staying with my cousin. My name is irrelevant as I doubt our paths will cross again. I was introduced to your father as well as the rest of the Elders by Bella Swan. If I wasn't so fond of your family, I'd not have answered a single of your questions."

When the witch stood up, Jacob's head snapped up. "You're leaving?" The teen had been utterly oblivious to his sister's antics. When Hermione nodded, he jumped up and grabbed his keys. "I'll drive you."

Rachel scowled and snapped, "Jacob."

But her brother was having none of it and it was suddenly obvious he wasn't nearly as oblivious to the ongoing around him as he had appeared to be, "Don't 'Jacob' me, Rachel. You came in and upset a nice quiet meal with your stupid drama. You practically accused Hermione of sleeping with Dad. Not to mention you insulted her and Dad and not once did you apologize for being a bitch.

"Hermione's not a British interior decorator, she's a healer. A damn good one and the Elders have tried to get her to take over the clinic here on the reservation. She's smart and nice. She healed me after my accident and stayed here with Dad to help take care of me and him while I couldn't.

"I'm driving Hermione back to the Cullen's house," Jacob let out a rush of air as he calmed from his tirade, "because I'd rather be driving her around than be stuck here with you. Sorry, Dad."

Without another word, Jacob grabbed his plates, glass and utensils to put them in the sink. Hermione didn't suppress the smile of gratitude and followed suit. She intended to turn on the water when Billy spoke softly, "Leave the dishes, Hermione. You've done so much for us already."

Hermione turned to her friend, "Are you sure? It won't take but a moment."

"I'm sure. Thank you again for everything."

"You've already thanked me, Billy." Hermione walked over to the man and planted a kiss on his head. "Take care of yourself. Call me if you need me."

Ignoring Rachel entirely, Hermione and Jacob left the Black home.

* * *

Alice stilled, her sweater dangled in her unmoving hands. Jasper looked up from his book. He recognized the far off expression of his mate and kept quiet until she was ready to talk to him about what she saw. The pixie sized vampire smiled before she tossed her sweater onto the bed and began sorting through her clothing again. Purging the closet of winter and spring clothing was long overdue. Alice spoke in a soft voice and told anyone listening, "Hermione's on her way."

"Does she know about the imprint?" Regardless of his love of history books, Jasper had read that one a number of times and easily set it aside to focus his full attention on Alice.

"I don't know." Alice looked at Jasper with clear concern showing in her golden eyes, "Do we tell her?"

"No," Jasper answered.

"She should know."

"Yes, but it isn't our secret to tell. The shapeshifter should tell her."

"The pack knows. We know. It isn't exactly a secret." Alice paused folding the winter white jeans in her hand and frowned at her mate, "She'll be hurt and angry when she finds out that we all knew and didn't tell her."

"Telling her might influence her decision whether to stay or go. Is that why-"

"No." Alice cut him off. "That's not why we should tell her. Hermione has the right to know something this big. Sure, I'd love my cousin to stay in Forks or even La Push, but I wouldn't try to stop her from going back home. It isn't as if we can't afford to fly over and visit with her. It's usually pretty overcast in England and it rains a lot there. A lot like here. We should be safe."

"You're right. We should be safe to visit England," Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist and propped his chin on the top of her head. She relaxed back into him with her back against his chest. "I shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion. I'm sorry."

* * *

"Can I talk to you about something?"

The pair had only made it to the garage before the conversation began. Hermione was taken by surprise by his willingness to speak with her about anything personal enough to upset him. On the other hand, Hermione wasn't directly involved with the politics on either side of the border between Forks and La Push even if her cousin was. The witch set down her bag and motioned him to continue, "Of course."

"This thing with Bella," Jacob frowned and leaned back against the fender of his rabbit. He crossed his ankles and propped his hands on the hood of his car, tapping a finger as he sorted his thoughts. He rambled aloud to Hermione as a sounding board, "It's not just that she's marrying a blood… sorry, vampire, but Bella _wants_ to be changed.

"I get why. Well, no I don't, but… I mean, if you're marrying someone that's immortal, don't you want to stay young with them forever? Then there's the issue with the pack. If he changes her, it breaks the treaty between the pack and the coven."

"What does the treaty say exactly?"

"The vamps can't hurt any human - by feeding or changing - or come on our land. In return, we don't tell anyone about their secret."

"That was rather short sighted of Carlisle to agree to such an arrangement."

"What do you mean?"

"He had one unmated 'son'. He obviously didn't think about finding him a mate or he assumed he'd find someone already changed." Hermione elaborated.

"It was all fine. We had peace for years, before Bella that is."

"Exactly," Hermione agreed. "This change is requested by Bella and demanded by the Volturi, which I will never understand. You can just get a witch or wizard to erase the memory of the vampires from any muggle. Why do they insist she be killed or changed?"

"I forgot about that."

"You're solely focused on how this affects your pack, which is understandable."

"The Bella thing is tearing the pack apart." Jacob sighed heavily and ran fingers through his black hair. "Some of us think she should have the right to decide, the rest are ready for war."

"What about Charlie?"

"Charlie?"

Hermione nodded, "I feel for the man. Charlie is going to be quite hurt when she changes. Seeing how he has no idea of the repercussions of what marrying a Cullen holds."

"Shit."

"This situation impacts more than just that little girl. Her decision to get involved with Edward has greatly impacted many lives."

The pair were quiet for a moment, lost in thought when a voice sounded from the door. "Hey."

The two in the garage looked up as Embry entered. Hermione silently cursed her body when her heart rate jumped at the sight of him. Embry wore a pair of cutoff jean shorts that hung low on his hips and a white sleeveless t-shirt that clung to his broad chest and showed off his muscular tanned arms. The witch simply smiled at Embry not trusting her voice, but Jacob didn't have that issue. He gave his friend a nod, "Hey, what's going on?"

"I was hoping to catch Hermione before you guys left." Embry's eyebrows furrowed, "But if I'm interrupting…"

"Nah," Jacob pushed away from his car. "I just got pissed with Rachel and Hermione was talking me down before I did something reckless on the road to Forks."

Embry gave Jacob a look that plainly stated he didn't believe it, but didn't push the matter. "Hermione…" He started and the witch swallowed audibly, "Can we talk?"

"That seems to be a new trend." Hermione jested, but dropped that line of jocularity when only Jacob laughed, "Never mind. Yes, we can talk. Mind waiting a bit, Jacob?"

"I'll take a walk on the beach to clear my head. You can find me there when you're ready to head back."

She could simply apparate back only the boy was gone before Hermione thought to tell him that. Embry took a step closer to her and then ran fingers through his short hair. "Want to walk or…"

Hermione took a glance around the garage and quickly nodded. It was too enclosed and conveniently remote from the house, they were too alone, he was too tempting. Walking would be good for her. Safer. "A walk is a fine idea."

The two made their way out of the Black family's garage and moved towards the woods that surrounded the property. Embry asked, "Do I want to know what happened with Rachel?"

"Probably not," Hermione admitted, "Besides that is a subject for Jacob to discuss. She isn't too fond of me. For reason I can't fathom, she seems threatened by me."

"You're smart, you're funny, you're beautiful, you're kind hearted-"

"Oh stop. I'm smart, sure, but she began ranting long before I even spoke. I think it had more to do with her insecurities than with me." She waved it off and asked, "How are you feeling? You were rather banged up along with the other boys."

Embry winced at the word 'boy', but didn't comment on it, "I'm fine. We're all fine now that Jacob's up."

They had made it to the woods. The smell of the earth, pine needles, fresh air and the hint of the salt air coming from the surf half a mile away was energizing. The boy stuffed his hands in his pockets and frowned again. Hermione put her hand on his arm, "Embry, what's wrong?"

He stopped walking and looked at her. "I've imprinted."

Her heart seized in her chest and she suddenly found it very difficult to breathe. Hermione felt like such a hypocrite. She practically pushed him to find another girl and now… she let her breath go, a breath she hadn't realized she held until her lungs screamed at her. "Congratulations."

Embry sighed; his shoulders slumped and he looked away. "I haven't told her yet."

The hand that still held his arm squeezed gently and she stepped closer. Hermione couldn't seem to help herself. He was hurting and she just could not stop herself from trying to make him feel better. "What are you waiting for? It can't be that bad can it?"

"She's…" He started, yet he couldn't seem to finish.

He looked at her then and the plea in his eyes for her to understand tore at her. "But they say that she will return your feelings… if not immediately, then eventually. That's a positive, isn't it? You can work something out."

"Hermione," Embry started and stepped closer to her.

She blinked in surprise at his sudden movement and her breath hitched. She took an unsteady step back as he stepped closer still. The further back she went the closer he came until her back was against a tree and he was a breath away. Hermione suddenly felt as if she were back in Hogwarts in Fourth year confronted with Viktor Krum and her first kiss. Her voice whispered between them as she responded, "Yes."

No sooner did the word pass her lips, his mouth was pressed to hers. His hands went to her waist and hers went around his neck pulling him closer. He was so tall that she found herself on tiptoes before his arm around her waist hoisted her up and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.

Their lips met with need and want. The length of him pressed against her and she wanted him inside. His large hands slid from around her waist, up her torso skimming her ribs and she squirmed. The feeling was so intense that she moaned breathlessly. Her tongue slipped along his lips and he opened for her. Hermione's back was pressed harder against the tree trunk before his thumb ran along the skin under her bra. She took control of the kiss and he followed eagerly. His hips thrust against her and he groaned.

She broke the kiss when the sound registered in her brain, "No."

"Yes."

"We can't."

"Fuck."

"Embry," She moaned his name as his lips moved against her throat, his hand cupped her breast and squeezed gently.

"You taste so good."

"Embry," She squeezed her legs pulling him tighter against her.

"Feel so good. So beautiful," His voice was deep, guttural and filled with desire. "So perfect," His hips thrusted forward again and she gasped. "I need you."

"Embry…" Hermione nipped at his neck on her way to his lips, "Please."

"I want you, Hermione." His hips moved closer, pressing against her, grinding against her. One of her hands was tangled in his hair, the other gripped his shoulder. He nipped at her skin and whispered in her ear, "Teach me to please you."

Teach him… oh God. Embry was a virgin. She couldn't. She shouldn't. No. The… _whatever_ it was they were doing had to stop. It was _wrong_. It was wrong on so many levels and it was at that moment that reality slapped her in the face.

Hermione's eyes sprung open and she stilled. He wasn't just a virgin, he was a boy! Her stomach churned. Embry was a _sixteen year old boy_. Hermione panicked. What had she done? What was she about to do? He wasn't just a boy. He was imprinted on some girl and here she was, wanton and writhing like some slut in the woods about to take his virtue. The shame rushed over her and she pushed at his chest. Hermione barely held back the tears of disgust at her own actions, "Stop, Embry or I will be forced to stop you."

Embry stilled. His head dropped to her shoulder. His breathing was ragged, as he tried to calm himself. The hand in her blouse stayed where it was, cupping her pert breast with a taut nipple, but didn't move. It was a good two minutes before Embry was finally able to pull himself together. He watched her as he slid his hand from her bra. Hermione's eyes fluttered and her breath hitched as his fingers brushed her nipple. His voice hoarse and his heartbeat was a fast tattoo against her palm that sat on his chest. "You want me."

Hermione met his gaze and didn't lie to him. Her voice was breathless when she admitted, "Yes, I want you."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers. "It's my age."

"Yes."

Embry backed away enough to let her feet back fall to the ground. "I can respect that."

"There's also your imprint." Hermione's voice softened to almost a whisper, "She should be your first and-"

"Hermione…"

"Yes?"

"I imprinted on you."

* * *

 **AN:** Okay remember the note back in chapter 6 and I told you… I _warned_ you… that 'things' were happening later on and I wasn't about to warn you again? Well, there you go. Things happened, but didn't happen, but dang did they get close and really… I did warn you.

And I hadn't realized just how steamy that chapter was and really I should have made this story a M rating... which I updated after posting last chapter. Granted that's as steamy as the story gets, but honestly I don't want to upset folks.

 **Noble Korhedron:** Edward told Alice last chapter and Embry finally told Hermione in this one: Yes, he did indeed imprint on her.

 **Myread88:** Yes, Hermione is 26 and Embry is 16. At some point in the Twilight books it is said the boys look in their mid-20s, but that doesn't change his actual age so Hermione is really going to have to control herself around that teen.

 **thatmutegirl33** : Sure, Hermione can pop back and forth from La Push to Forks and such, but let's not forget she has a job still waiting for her in London. I don't believe they can just pop across that long of a distance.

 **Penny is wise:** True. I originally thought Hermione was going to save Bree since that is what I had intended all along, but as I wrote that chapter I found that I was mistaken. Silly characters told me no. Hermione's opinion is (weird that I know these things? Yeah, it is how my warped mind works) that she has no business involving herself in vampire politics. She doesn't have to agree with it, but it isn't her place to stop them. It was similar with the Elders. Hermione felt they were idiots for boycotting the hospital, but it was their choice to do so. Think cutting off one's nose to spite their face.


	11. The Decision

**The Decision**

"You're leaving."

It wasn't a question; therefore there was no need to answer her. Besides, the guilt still churned in her gut and Hermione had no idea what to say to her cousin. Did she admit to being a pedophile? No, that implied Embry was a child and not a teen. Was she a cougar? No, that wasn't right either… yet **…** since that implied that Embry was of legal age and many years younger than her. Whatever self-acclaimed title Hermione should be labeled, she wore it in shame.

Two days ago in the woods, Hermione had apologized to Embry numerous times as she ran back to the Black family's garage. Her mind had been reeling when he told her about the imprint. First was denial and then justification for her actions and then confusion and then panic and… well the emotions were rather scattered at that point.

Embry had kept pace with her, naturally, but didn't try to stop her. Once they made it to the garage she grabbed her belongings. When he stepped close, she flinched away. Her reaction startled him enough to stop his advance. He had tried to talk to her… to reason with her, but she just couldn't manage a coherent thought that wasn't a shrill denial or mental breakdown. Hermione had taken advantage of the young man. No, he wasn't a _man_ : young or otherwise. He was a boy. An impressionable boy that she kissed and molested and… Distance at that point was the only thing that would save her from destroying her career and his life.

Hermione had asked Embry to let Jacob know she didn't need a ride to Forks, apologized again and apparated back to the Cullen home. Every time he had tried to speak she apologized. Poor guy didn't have a chance to say a thing before she left him standing there.

After dropping her belongings into her room, Hermione immediately booked a flight home. The earliest flight she could arrange was in a fortnight. She had to wait twelve more days before she would be freed from temptation.

Alice walked up next to the witch and stood beside her at the window. The vampire was looking out at the scenery just as her cousin was. Only Alice wasn't truly looking at the landscape; she was using the reflection of the window to watch Hermione.

The witch didn't meet her cousin's gaze. She didn't turn when Alice approached. She kept her eyes on whatever it was she was staring at outside the window. Her voice was strained when she finally spoke, "I can't stay."

"Okay," She didn't argue with the woman. There was no changing her mind and really, it wasn't her place to. Alice simply accepted Hermione's decision and countered with one of her own, "I'll just have to visit you in London."

"I'd like that."

There was a howl from the woods and Alice's gaze moved to the edge of the trees behind the house. The all too familiar gray spotted wolf sat there. He howled again. The sound was sad, haunted and lonely. It was heartbreaking.

Hermione closed her eyes. "I have to go."

Alice wasn't sure if Hermione was talking to her, to herself, or to the wolf on the other side of the pane of glass. The vampire wanted to ask questions, it was clear in the looks she casted at the witch, but she was considerate enough not to voice them. Hermione knew Alice was there for her if she needed her; that was all she could offer. That and idle chit chat, "Charlie called to confirm the few names he asked to be added to the wedding guest list."

"How is he?"

"Okay, considering his teenaged daughter is in a hurry to get married to her high school sweetheart." Alice quipped. "He thinks Bella is pregnant."

"He should know the truth."

"He'd be in the same trouble as Bella is." Alice countered. "Only Charlie doesn't have a talent that the Volturi want or a mate to change him. They would kill him."

"In the wizarding world, he'd know. Parents are allowed to know about their children." Hermione sighed, "He should know."

"I can't tell him."

"I can."

"I suppose you could."

Hermione looked at her then. Alice met her gaze. The witch nodded, "You'll stay here. I won't tell you when I'm going to visit him. Plausible deniability."

"Not if you decided already..."

"I haven't a clue what I'm going to say or not say or if I'm going to say anything at all." Hermione looked back out the window. "Perhaps I'm just going to say good-bye."

"I can work with that."

Alice walked away. The gray wolf howled again. Hermione pressed her hand against the window pane and closed her eyes. Her heart ached.

* * *

It was five days later that the girls went off on a hunt. Without a word to anyone still in the Cullen household, she disappeared from her room and, with a small pop, Hermione was in the woods behind the Swan home. She still had no idea what to say, but, as she had told Alice, the least she could say was good-bye if she completely chickened out. Hermione closed her eyes to strengthen her resolve. Some Gryffindor she turned out to be. Hermione squared her shoulders, raised her chin and made her way around the house to the front door.

Charlie's squad car was in the driveway, but so was Billy's truck. Her bravery waivered because she had declined every phone call that came from La Push: Embry, Jacob and Billy. Hermione forced herself to knock on the door anyhow.

Only a moment passed before it was opened by Jacob. The shapeshifter stared at her for a moment. He didn't look pleased to see her. His voice was cold when he spoke, "I thought I heard you pop in."

"What are you doing here?" Jacob frowned at her. She hadn't meant to blurt that out. The harshness in his voice when he greeted her had taken her breath away and made her stomach clench. What had she expected? She avoided him and everyone. Did she really think he'd welcome her with open arms? The Black men had every right to visit Charlie Swan. They had been friends for many years. She was the outsider. She was the unwelcomed guest. Hermione winced and stepped back, "I'm sorry. I'll go."

Jacob didn't stop her, but the police chief did. Charlie had come up behind Jacob as the witched turned away, "Hermione?"

She flinched and took a deep breath letting it go slowly. When she turned to face the man, Hermione forced a smile on her face, "Hello, Charlie."

"Finally came by for that tea?"

Hermione stared at him blankly for a moment until the memory kicked in. The day she went to meet with the Elders she had said she'd take a rain-check on the tea. The smile softened and became real, "I suppose I did, but you have company. I can come back another-"

"No, don't be silly. Come on in. Billy and Jacob are here to watch the game. We're going to order pizza later." Charlie ushered the woman into the living room with his hand gently pressing at her lower back. "You're welcome to join us."

"I'm not a fan of sports, I'm afraid." Hermione's body instinctively leaned into Charlie's warmth. Jacob closed the front door a bit louder than necessary. The witch forced herself to move away from the police chief.

"You can still stay to visit and help us eat the pizza," Charlie called out as he went into the kitchen to make her tea.

Billy watched her walk in and, as they had grown accustomed to doing, reached out a hand to Hermione in welcome to which she promptly took and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. Hermione took the seat next to Billy as Jacob walked around to the couch. The young shapeshifter sat down heavily, his long legs sprawled out in front of him. Billy narrowed his eyes and squeezed her hand, "How have you been? You're not taking my calls now?"

The witch flinched as if she were slapped, "I'm sorry. I was hiding. I needed time to think. It's a lot to take in."

"He told you." Hermione looked over at Jacob. There was no question as to who or what he meant. There was no question at all. What he said was a statement. Of course it was. They were a pack. Jacob knew the moment the two phased at the same time. The teen glared at her, "And you rejected him."

"It's not like that." Hermione was getting a bit tired of having to explain herself, but Charlie came back before she could elaborate, handed her a mug of tea before sitting down. She decided to change topics. She may be willing to tell the muggle about vampires, but her love life - or lack thereof - was none of his business. Instead, Hermione informed them, "There's a reason I came by today. It wasn't just for tea. I wanted to say good-bye. I leave for home in a week."

"A week?" Billy's eyebrows furrowed, Charlie gave her a sad lopsided grin and Jacob's glare was back stronger than ever.

The teen's voice was still distant and cold. "Are you going to tell the pack?"

She knew what he really meant. Jacob couldn't care less what the pack knew or thought. They'd all find out eventually. No, what Jacob really wanted to know was if she was going to say anything to Embry before she left. Her heart lurched at the thought of seeing him again. She swallowed hard, "I don't know if I can."

"Bullshit."

"Jacob." Billy reprimanded.

Jacob turned his attention back to the muted television, but didn't apologize for his language. And why should he? It was his opinion and if she were honest with herself, he was probably right. "It's okay, Billy. I deserved that." Hermione ignored the stunned, confused look Charlie gave Jacob and stared at the steeping tea in her hands. She refused to lie to Jacob, he deserved the truth and really, Embry should hear it from her. "I will… somehow."

Charlie had been quietly listening to what was said between the two and what was left unsaid. When the conversation dropped to a lull, he prompted, "I was surprised when Billy said you turned down the job offer."

Grateful for the change in subject, Hermione answered. "The clinic is efficient. The staff is lovely. Doc Melody is a charming woman, but she didn't give me the impression that she was coming back in a timely manner. Which I realize sounds like an excuse. Honestly, I have a job and a residency to complete. While I appreciate the offer, it just isn't a good time for me." Hermione bit her lip and gave a side glance towards Jacob before continuing, "My residency will be complete in two years. I hope to come back after I become certified."

"I'm sure the woman will have had her child by then." Charlie joked.

The playful jibe took Hermione off guard and she let out a small huff of laughter that sounded so weak, even to hear ears. She appreciated his attempt at humor. Hermione had to agree, "I'm sure she will have."

Billy placed his large hand on her slim shoulder to gain her attention. When she looked up at him, he gave a solemn nod, "La Push is a good place to vacation. You'll come stay with me."

When his hand was removed, she missed the warmth. She had been feeling very cold ever since she ran away from Embry. Hermione felt so lost. "I promised Esme that I'd come visit again."

"Not Alice?"

"Alice said she'll come to London." With a sigh, Hermione stared into the mug in her hands. It was cooling. Tepid tea was rather disgusting so she took a sip and blanched, "What _is_ this?"

"Um, tea?"

"This is a mockery to tea." An idea struck her and she looked to Billy. "Have you told him?"

"No." Billy frowned and shot a glance at Jacob. She had gained Jacob's interest once more with her question and he raised an eyebrow at her as if to challenge her.

Hermione decided, "He deserves to know."

"Like Rachel?"

"Yes."

"She knows." Billy chuckled when Jacob groaned from the couch. "Paul imprinted on her."

"Paul?" Hermione laughed, "Poor Jacob!"

"He's over all the time!" Jacob groused, "Drives me nuts."

"I'm sorry. No one deserves to be tortured by that boy." Hermione noted that Charlie was fussing with his remote and she flicked her wrist. Her wand dropped into her hand. Jacob sat up and nodded. Billy's eyes widened and she smiled at the two. "He's too inquisitive to just take my word for things. He has to witness it himself or he will never believe me. Besides, this swill is not tea."

"What? It's Lipton," Charlie claimed as he got the remote to do as he wanted. He turned his attention to Hermione and protested. "That's-"

His words came to an abrupt halt when Hermione pointed her wand towards the kitchen. The man frowned at the stick waving woman and nearly fell out of his chair when the sugar bowl flew through the doorway. Without missing a beat, Billy raised his hand and snatched it from the air and deadpanned, "You forgot a spoon."

"So I did."

Billy set the sugar bowl on the table in front of the woman while Hermione summoned a spoon. Billy snatched the utensil from the air and offered it to her, "I have to say, I miss having you around at breakfast time. I enjoyed catching my coffee mug in the mornings."

"What..."

"Magic," Hermione smiled, "I'm a witch, Charlie."

"No," Charlie shook his head.

"Yes, I am. And this is my wand," Hermione raised the object to show him, "Ten and three quarter inches long, made of vine wood and a dragon heartstring. I purchased it from Mr. Ollivander when I was eleven years old."

"That's... you're... but that doesn't..."

"I'm a shapeshifter," Jacob said with his big goofy grin plastered on his face.

"He's a russet colored wolf," Hermione elaborated.

Charlie was on the edge of his seat, "You're a wolf."

"A big one," Hermione provided helpfully. "He's nearly as tall as I am."

"The wolf scare some time back…"

"That was my pack. We were looking out for Bella."

"So, there are more wolves…"

"Yes." Jacob squirmed under Charlie's intense stare.

"There's more to this, Charlie."

The man turned his attention back to Hermione, but moved on to Billy. "You don't look surprised. I'm guessing you know all about this."

"As an Elder, I'm informed. I also knew because it runs in my family. While it skips generations, the potential is there with each male."

"What were you protecting Bella from?" Charlie rounded on Jacob as the next question came to mind.

Only it was Hermione that responded, "That is what I was referring to when I said there was more to tell you."

"Explain."

So she did. Hermione told him about vampires and their existence. She elaborated with the different types of vampires and the Volturi. Charlie held his tongue even if he wanted to interrupt a number of times. When the story finally came around to the Cullen family, Charlie's eyes closed and he groaned. "Of course. My daughter - the clumsy, recluse of a girl - falls in love with a vampire."

"That's just the beginning." Hermione prompted and Billy took over in the story telling.

He told of the pack and their purpose. Billy told him about the trouble with James, Laurent and Victoria. They mentioned the newborn army and Charlie's eyes hardened. Soon the chief of police's hands tightened into a fist and Hermione moved from her seat to sit beside him. Charlie had been so focused on Billy that he jumped when Hermione touched his hand. "You're making your palms bleed."

"What?" The man looked at her in such bemusement that she peeled his fist open to show him. Charlie sighed as he stared at the half moon cuts in his palms.

"It's okay, Charlie. I'll take care of it." Hermione only needed a simple episkey spell before his palms were instantly healed. She smoothed her fingers over his palm and he sighed. "See?"

"Magic," Charlie said. "You're a witch… cauldrons… pointy hats… riding brooms…"

"Yes, although I hate the hats and flying."

"I still can't believe you don't fly a broom." Jacob teased.

"I'm not partial to heights. I leave the flying to my friends. They enjoy it, they can have at it." She smiled at Jacob and his attempt to get them back on some sort of even footing again. "I'm partial to keeping both feet planted safely on the ground."

Charlie frowned at her as she moved back to her seat beside Billy, "Are you really related to Alice?"

"Yes," Hermione smiled. "She's my great-great-grandmother's niece."

"And you came to Forks…"

"To help with the battle and get to know my cousin." Hermione gave a single shoulder shrug, "She's family. I couldn't very well leave her to fight alone when I could help."

"Your car accident…"

Jacob gave his own shrug, "I wasn't in a car accident. That was from fighting the newborn army. Hermione patched me up and made me drink some nasty potions."

"Those nasty potions - along with your natural healing abilities - made you better in days rather than weeks." Hermione countered.

Billy kept quiet during this exchange and watched Charlie. He looked from the witch to the shapeshifter and back again absorbing every word. Finally Billy had to ask, "Are you okay, Charlie?"

"Let's see if I have this straight. You're a witch." He looked at Hermione who nodded. "You're a shapeshifting wolf." He looked at Jacob who also nodded. "The Cullen family is really a coven of vampires." Then Charlie turned his attention to his best friend, "Don't tell me. You're Big foot?"

Jacob laughed. Hermione bit her lip quite amused. Billy grinned. "No, my friend, I'm just as human as you are."

Hermione huffed, "Just because I'm a witch doesn't mean I'm no longer human, thank you very much."

"Sure, but you're more than just a human like these two. You're magical. Like me." Jacob sat back on the couch again. "You should talk to him."

Hermione winced at the abrupt change in subject, "I know. I will." She tried to doctor the swill that Charlie insisted was tea. She took a tentative sip, "Oh this is vile and now it's cold, too. FYI - Lipton is not truly tea."

Billy asked, "Would you rather have a beer?"

Hermione wrinkled her nose at it, "No, thanks."

"You don't drink beer, you don't drink coffee... what do you drink?"

"Tea, _real_ tea, water, butter beer, ale and, on occasion, wine. I am rather fond of elf wine, yet a good red is always preferred to white."

Charlie blinked at the woman, "So... water..."

"I'm fine," Hermione glanced out the window and sighed softly, "Actually I should go. The longer I put this off, the harder it will be to explain and…"

"Just be honest with him," Billy advised.

She nodded and bit her lip, lost in thought until Charlie asked, "Uh, Hermione… how did you get here? I don't remember seeing a car out front."

"Oh," Hermione waved him off, "I apparated."

"It's like teleporting with magic. I hear it makes you dizzy and sick to your stomach."

"Only the first few times. You get accustomed to it." Hermione hedged and then asked, "Jacob, can I ask a favor?"

"Yeah," Jacob watched as she hesitated. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hermione sighed and finally just asked, "Can you shift and tell him to wait for me?"

"He's still out there?" Jacob stood in one fluid movement

"He was when I left…"

"Shit. He already thinks you rejected him. If he can't catch your scent; he's gonna flip."

"But I didn't…"

"So you say. That's not how he sees things." He pulled off his t-shirt and kicked off his tennis shoes.

"Jacob!"

The shapeshifter paused when with his hands at his shorts and frowned. "You've seen me naked before."

"As my patient," Hermione rolled her eyes at him and turned in her chair so her back was to him. "Continue."

Jacob just laughed and dropped his shorts so he could shift. "Fuck!" Charlie shouted and there was a sudden thunk of the coach being upended.

Hermione turned her attention back to the men in the room and giggled at the scene playing out before her. Charlie was hesitantly reaching forward as if to touch Jacob's pelt. Jacob turned to her and huffed. "I'm too late? Is he gone?"

Jacob shook his large shaggy head and used his snout to gesture towards the back of the house. "He's here?"

The russet wolf tilted his head as if to ask her what she was waiting for. "He's here." Hermione suddenly couldn't breathe. "He's here. He's... he's..."

"Hermione," Billy tried to gain her attention.

Jacob growled low and her head snapped up to stare at him. Their eyes met and his ears lowered. Hermione frowned, "I'm not going to run away. I just-"

There was a howl outside. It was so mournful that it called to her. "He's hurting." She gasped, "It's my fault. I have to go to him."

"Hermione," Billy tried again.

Hermione reached out and Billy held her hand for a moment, "I know it's wrong, Billy... I know it is..."

"Talk to him, Hermione."

Hermione stood as he howled again, "He needs me."

She didn't hesitate any further and with a pop she was gone.

* * *

"Embry?"

"You were saying good-bye." Hermione turned and saw him standing between the trees. His cut off shorts riding low on his hips, his chest was bare and his hands were in fists. "Were you really going to tell me? Or did you just say that to shut Jacob up?"

"I knew I had to. I knew I wanted to. I just didn't know what to say." Hermione stepped closer, but Embry didn't move for once. She bit her lip as doubt filled her. He didn't approach her. She didn't realize how much that would hurt, and it killed something inside. "I'm sorry, Embry. I panicked. I needed time to consider everything I learned about the pack, the tribe, the imprint. I had to weigh the consequences of what we started out there, regardless of how good it felt. How right it felt and I had to set aside my emotions to think clearly."

"And?"

"I have to leave." Embry closed his eyes and she hurried forward as he turned away. "Embry wait. Please."

"Why?" Embry refused to look at her, his voice came across hoarse and strained, "Why should I wait, Hermione? So you can tell me again how wrong this is? How I'm too young?"

"No, Embry." Hermione turned his head so he was forced to look at her. She caressed his cheek with her thumb, "You are young and right now, I can be thrown in jail if I crossed that fine line that we erased that day in the woods."

"I would never-"

"Your mother could do it on your behalf. It's called statutory rape. Consent doesn't count because you're a minor." Hermione dropped her hand from his face to grab hold of his hand. "I decided that I need to go back to England. Finish my residency and get certified, by the time I'm through you'll be a legal adult and we can try again."

"Why do you have to go away?"

"I need to be away from you. Away from the temptation of teaching you everything you wanted me to teach you that day in the woods."

His thumb rubbed over her knuckles, "You still want me."

"Yes."

"Do you still think I'll change my mind in two years?"

"No. You imprinted. I understand what that means."

"Tell me... what does it mean to you?"

Hermione smiled up at him, "You're mine. I'm yours. Forever."

* * *

 **AN:** Well geez... that's 2 stories that I've ended very cheese ball (The Vanquisher was the first). Ah well, such is life.

Hope you enjoyed this quick little ficlit because that was the end. Next is an epilogue and we're done!

 **The Karma Fairy:** Really?! I had no idea that the age of consent in the UK is 16. As for Hermione's reasoning, according to the 'Hermie' voice in my head (I will deny I said that!), she was honoring the age of consent in America because he is an American. Plus I thought 17 for UK because the HP books has them as adults at that age.

 **LeonaMasha:** You _totally_ made my day! People say I'm funny. I say 'nay, nay' (I so loved John Pinette. He was hilarious). I just have a way of warping what is handed to me to fit my needs. If others find humor or entertainment in that... awesome. If not ... meh, they can get over it.


	12. The Epilogue

**The Epilogue**

When Hermione had returned to England, she dutifully visited her friends. She properly 'oohed' and 'aahed' over the new addition to the Potter family and apologized profusely for not being there when Albus was born, but swore to be there when Lavender gave birth. True to her word, Hermione was there for Rose's birth. The healer was right there in the middle of things delivering the darling little red haired squalling witch.

The healer had immersed herself in her work, dedicating all of her free time to her residency and focused on becoming certified. She had it all planned out in her head, but her heart ached with loneliness. Hermione squashed any feelings of self-pity with more work and fell exhausted in her bed at night.

Alice kept her word as well. It was a mid-summer night when Alice and Jasper arrived in Heathrow. Hermione had inherited her family home when her parents were killed so she promptly made up a room for the couple to store their belongings or hide out while the sun was too bright for them to explore and hunt.

Jasper had joked that there was enough room in the house for the entire Cullen family to move in. Hermione just smiled and agreed… well, except… perhaps not Rosalie...

Eighteen months had gone by painfully slow. The only contact Hermione had had with Embry was courtesy of her computer via emails and skype. While she was grateful for technology, it wasn't the same as being in the same room… which, of course, was the point of her moving back to England.

She had missed his 18th birthday. Tiffany had insisted that Embry was to stay off his computer and celebrate with 'people who counted'. That was his mother's attempt to further put a wedge between them. Considering the shapeshifter's mother didn't know about his secret life Hermione understood Tiffany's view on their odd relationship, but she didn't have to like it.

It was Hermione's day off and she was exhausted, both mentally and physically, but she had things to do. Her pile of dirty laundry was growing and cleaning charms only went so far. The house could use a bit of spot cleaning and there were groceries to buy, blood pops to restock and she was overdue a mani/pedi. Sighing she went through her morning ministrations and donned comfortable clothes.

Her mind made a quick list of chores she needed to see done… but first, breakfast. When she passed through the living room, she absentmindedly waved her wand causing the pillows and cushions on the couch to fluff and settle back down.

The morning breakfast routine went on without a hitch: tea, eggs with bacon, toast and jam. She listened for her cousin upstairs, but heard nothing from the couple that was currently residing with her. With a flick of her wand, the pan flew to the sink and began washing itself. Hermione sat at the table with her repast and glanced around at her kitchen. It was nearly spotless, but could use a good scrub down. She suddenly felt exhausted without even having started working and bit down on her toast.

"Right," She told the empty room, "It's definitely a mani/pedi kind of day."

Her breakfast done, Hermione washed the rest of the dishes and set off to get her purse for the number to the salon. As she reached her purse in the living room, she was momentarily distracted by a stack of magazines on the credenza.

Leafing through the magazine, Hermione was soon immersed in a new source of stem cell research. True to her bookworm nature, the witch began looking for other sources that verified or disputed the claim and only stopped when her stomach growled in protest.

She stopped and stared at her middle as if in confusion and looked up at the time, noting that half the day had passed and she missed lunch… and dinner. With an exasperated sigh, Hermione wandered back into the kitchen with the intent to make herself some dinner. Only as she stared into the pantry Hermione was quickly distracted by the chocolate digestives.

Hermione plucked open the sleeve of biscuits and pulled one out. She took a nibble of the treat and hummed her appreciation. Tea and chocolate had become her source of comfort food and if she wasn't careful, she'd gain a stone in no time.

Strong arms slid around her waist causing the girl to squeal in surprise. The biscuits went flying as she twirled around and stopped abruptly at the sight before her.

He hadn't changed a bit since the last time they saw each other. His dark hair was still kept short, parted to the side and mussed just right. His brown eyes darkened as he looked her over and he smiled at her when she gasped out his name, "Embry?"

"Hey, Babe," Embry tightened his grip, edging her closer. "Miss me?"

"Yes!" Hermione's hands went around his neck and she stopped cold. His lips were inches from her own when she asked, "Embry, how did you get here?"

His grin widened, "Your cousin gives the best Christmas presents."

"Alice…" Hermione laughed and brushed her lips against his, "I was wondering where those two had disappeared to today."

"Hermione…"

"Hmm…"

"I did not fly across the world to talk about your cousin," Embry dipped his head so he could nuzzle her neck.

She immediately canted her head to give him more access. Hermione's fingers tangled in his hair when he began nibbling at her throat. The witch couldn't help the smile that came to her lips when she teased him, "No?" Embry growled deep in his chest and he nipped at her skin. Hermione gasped before asking breathlessly, "Then why did you fly across the world?"

Embry pulled his head back to look down at her. His lips brushed against hers before he nipped at her bottom lip. He smirked when she groaned. Embry waited until she stared up at him, giving the young man her full attention and said, "I've come to claim my woman."

* * *

"Hermione," Embry's voice called out from the waiting room.

"In my office," Hermione responded.

The clinic was technically closed, but the paperwork kept piling up before she realized it and the woman was determined to finish each case before she went on maternity leave. Hermione sat back in her chair when her husband leaned against the door frame. She sighed softly and rubbed at her protruding belly. Hermione smiled tiredly, "Hey."

"Gordy, Tell your mother it's time to go home," Embry prompted their son.

The three year old scampered out of his father's arms and ran to his mother, "Mummy, Daddy said we hads to come get you to make you come out of da kinic."

"The clinic."

"Uh huh, he said if we don't you will _sleep_ here."

"Sleep where? On the floor?"

"Not da floor, silly. On da, on da…"

"Sofa?"

"Uh huh, on da sofa in da wait woom."

"The sofa isn't very comfortable for sleeping." She noted the furrow between Gordon's eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong, honey?"

"I tought you'd stay cuz you don't loves me no more, but Daddy said dat's not right cuz you loves me whole bunches."

"He's right, I do."

"Uh huh, Daddy said you work too much."

"He said that?"

"Uh huh, and Daddy said if we can get you to come out den we can go to da beach and see Grandpa Billy for storytime."

"Storytime with Grandpa Billy?" Hermione stroked Gordon's dark curly hair as her toddler attempted to hug her. "I love storytime and Grandpa Billy is the best storyteller."

"Uh huh, he's da bestest in da whole wide world," Gordon laid his head on her belly and asked, "Mummy, when is my baby sister coming out?"

"Sister?" Hermione looked up at Embry who grinned unabashedly as he finally fully entered the room to join his family, "What makes you think it's a girl?"

"Daddy said so." Gordon looked up at his mother as if it should have been the most obvious conclusion because, after all, Daddy was always right.

"Of course he did," the witch hissed when Gordon pushed away from her belly to jump up and down excitedly chanting 'can we go, can we go, can we go' repeatedly. "Yes, we can go."

Once the health clinic was closed up for the night, the Call family walked slowly down the sidewalk until it came time to cross the beach to the edge of the water. The bonfire blazed in the distance like a beacon of welcome and promise. Gordon stopped at the edge of the sand to kick off his trainers and then presented them to his father, "Here, Daddy!"

Embry crouched beside his son and grinned, "Look who's coming."

Gordon turned quickly and cheered, "Unca Sef!"

"Hey, squirt." Seth crouched and allowed Gordon to bowl him over. The pair began playfully wrestling in the sand as the three year old could be heard squealing and giggling.

Embry took the opportunity to ease Hermione's feet, one at a time, out of her slip on shoes. He then stuffed all footwear (including his own) into his small carry all bag that Hermione eventually created for each pack member. The bags had magically expanding leather cords and the entire thing magically melded with the fur of the individual wolf as Bella had suggested years ago.

Seth came over to the couple and gave Hermione an awkward half hug while still holding the toddler. She tickled the little boy as she returned her friend's greeting. "Be good for Seth, Gordy."

"Yes'm!"

"See you at the fire." Seth tossed the toddler onto his shoulder fireman style and jogged away.

"Think he'll ever grow up?" Hermione asked.

"Nope," Embry held his wife's hand as they made their way to the bonfire.

As he did every time Hermione came near, Billy held out his hand to his adopted daughter. The witch went to him without hesitation and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. She sat in the chair that Embry quickly brought over to her and smiled her gratitude to him before he wandered off. Billy gave her hand a squeeze, "How's my granddaughter treating you?"

"Like her personal playground."

Billy smiled and placed a hand on her belly, "Listen here, Ayasha. You behave in there or I won't bounce you on my knee and tell you stories."

Hermione laughed as her daughter's hand pressed hard against Billy's from the inside of her belly as if she were trying to reach out to her grandfather.

Embry came back a few minutes later with drinks and edged her forward in order to slip into the chair behind her. Hermione relaxed against her husband once he was settled. Collin, who was still the youngest in the pack, came with an ice chest in order to elevate Hermione's feet. Hermione looked at the gathered faces sighing contently.

Those gathered around for story time were the original pack of ten wolves, their mates and offspring as well as the Elders. The only one missing was Jacob who was traveling with the Cullen family or more accurately his imprintee. Even Charlie had joined the bonfire that evening and sat in a chair beside Sue.

Peace had settled into La Push once again. While the legends continued to be told to each new generation, the need for the pack calmed as the cold ones left the area. Hermione sighed contently as Embry rubbed her stomach.

Billy looked around the gathered audience and told the tale of their forefathers, "Generations ago the tribe settled in La Push and became fishermen and shipbuilders…"

* * *

 **AN:** I hope you enjoyed the story. I doubt I will ever write another Twilight Xover, but then again I said that after that silly one shot with Edward and the trio…

Take care and happy reading,

Ajellah

 **Noble Korhedron:** This story wasn't about the Cullen family and their peeps… exactly. It's about Hermione on vacation and now her trip is over so therefore so is the story.

 **Yusuke Urameshi - Mazoku:** Thanks for the clarification!


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